


Déjà vu All Over Again

by Sawsha12



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Kink Meme, M/M, Romance, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-23
Updated: 2011-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-27 21:29:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/300235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sawsha12/pseuds/Sawsha12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A twist to ‘what if there was no tomorrow?’ Reliving the moment could be torture.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Déjà vu All Over Again

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Characters are not mine  
> Warning: minor language, sexy time later in the story, toying with myths/legends?  
> Summary: A twist to ‘what if there was no tomorrow?’ Reliving the moment could be torture.  
> A/N: Based on this prompt at inception_kink. I sort of veered away from it slightly but the concept is there.
> 
> Arthur is stuck in a dream where he repeats the same day over and over again. At least, he thinks it's a dream. It's just when he tries to shoot himself out of it he just goes back to the beginning.
> 
> As Arthur deals with his own personal form of HELL (which he has very seriously considered) he starts to fall for Eames and convince him something is wrong.

_Three Coins in the Fountain  
Each one seeking happiness  
Thrown by three hopeful lovers  
Which one will the fountain bless?  
Just one wish will be granted. Make it mine, make it mine, make it mine!_  
\- Lyrics from the movie “Three Coins in the Fountain.”

 **Tuesday 10:38 P.M.**

"Legend says if you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, it will ensure your return back to Rome," Arthur recited the well-known fact to Ariadne. "You take the coin in your right hand and toss it over your left shoulder."

"Fascinating fact, Arthur," exclaimed Eames, maybe with a little too much enthusiasm for Arthur's liking.

Arthur gave Eames a challenging look. "Do you have something else to add, Eames?"

Eames smirked while placing his hands in his pocket and rocking back on his heels. "As a matter of fact I do, Arthur." He turned to Ariadne who was absorbed with the architectural structure around the fountain. "This is a mythical fountain of love."

Ariadne raised an eyebrow, looking back at Eames with an unbelievable expression. "Oh come on, Eames. Even I know that's not true."

Eames placed his hand over his heart, acting hurt. He then gestured around the fountain, pointing out all the women surrounding the fountain. Some of them were in groups, smiling or looking yearningly at the fountain. Most were looking into the clear night sky as they threw their coins into the fountain. "If it weren't true, then why are all these lovely women throwing their money away on such a romantic night such as this, hmm?"

"Eames," said Arthur patiently. "I think you're confused with a movie."

"Oi," Eames sounded shocked at being found. "It was because of that movie that brought such attention to the Trevi. You can't deny that, darling. A lot of lonely souls come here with that misconception in mind." Eames suddenly looked wistful. "…And a wish."

Ariadne laughed as she nudged Eames at the elbow. "I never figure you as a romantic, Eames."

Eames winked down at Ariadne and said in a hushed tone, "Not so loud, bit. Arthur may use that information against me." He gave Arthur a mischievous look.

Arthur shook his head, wondering how he ever agreed to come along on this outing. Then he recalled the reason and glanced up at the night sky, asking for patience. He glanced back down in time to see Ariadne smile back at him. He returned the smile carefully.

Ariadne sighed. "I think I like that legend better. No offense Arthur," she said quickly to Arthur. "I'm sure you're more accurate. But at times...” Ariadne soon had the same wistful look Eames had earlier.

Arthur suppressed a groan as he turned his attention to the fountain. At night, the spotlights surrounding the fountain gave the fountain an aura. The way the light refracted off the marble made the fountain impressive still. His gaze fell upon the statue Ocean, who many mistaken to be Neptune. Ocean stood upon a chariot pulled by two horses. The horses, one calm and the other more rowdy, were lead by Tritons.

Nothing about the Trevi suggested anything about granting love. Power, protection, and anything what water or the ocean represented were the impression Arthur could decipher. He was certain historians would agree as well. A coin was suddenly pressed against the palm of his hand, causing Arthur to break his current thought.

Eames had placed the coin in Arthur's hand. "Here you go, love. Give it a go and toss the coin in. Maybe your wish will come true."

Arthur closed his fingers around the coin. He was about to protest and say that all these legends and myths are a bunch of bullshit, but he stopped short when he saw Ariadne. She looked expectantly at him, hoping he would play along. He didn't have the heart to hurt Ariadne.

"Eames said that three is a good number. One of us will get their wish granted." Ariadne suddenly felt chagrin. Eames was defiantly quoting off of a movie. Except Arthur couldn’t quite remember which one.

Arthur suddenly remembered how young Ariadne was, maybe a bit naïve. He smiled and shrugged. There wasn't any harm with tossing a coin into the fountain. He turned and tossed the coin over his shoulder. He made a wish as an afterthought for this job to run smoothly and end quickly.

"There's a love," said Eames while thumping Arthur on the shoulder. Both Eames and Ariadne tossed their coin into the fountain.

"What did you wish for, Eames?" Ariadne questioned out of curiosity.

Eames shook his finger at Ariadne. "It isn't lucky to wish and tell."

Arthur waited for them to finish before saying, "We have to meet Yusuf. The job goes down in forty-five minutes."

"What would we do without your punctuality, Arthur?" Eames asked drily.

"I don't know, Eames," said Arthur with an equally dry tone. "You’ll probably not get the job done and then be on the run from those who hired you."

Eames turned his nose upward at Arthur and quickly wrapped one strong arm around Ariadne. "Oh how little you think of me, Arthur. That's why I have Ariadne to help me so that I won't go down that dark path again."

"Whoa," Ariadne squirmed out of Eames' hold easily enough. "I refuse to be a part of this argument."

"There's no need to worry then," stated Arthur as he turned to leave. "We're done here."

~*~*~

 **Tuesday 11:47 P.M.**

Arthur, Eames, and Ariadne met with Yusuf at the Musei Vaticani on schedule. "I hope you three had a wonderful time together as I wasted away here in this flat," Yusuf said in way of greeting.

"Looks like you found a way to entertain yourself quite well, huh Yusuf?" Eames said with amusement as he pointed at the booze littered on the table as well as a few adult films.

"Piss off," Yusuf snapped as he shoved Eames away from the table and scrambled to gather the DVDs. He shot an apologetic look at Ariadne who tried to hide her amusement.

Eames laughed and slapped Yusuf on the shoulder in a friendly manner before saying, "I understand, mate." He made a show of lowering his voice. "A man has his needs and gets relief however he can."

Yusuf's eyes widened, and a blush crept up his neck. "Eames," he hissed. "You're forgetting that there's a lady in our presence."

"Boys," said Ariande as she tried to keep a straight face. "I can still hear you."

"Yes, we all can," interjected Arthur from his spot by the window. He parted the curtains slightly while using a small spyglass.

They chose the Musei Vaticani for one reason only: They had a perfect view of the Vatican Museum. Arthur had researched and found their mark to be making a late night appearance at the museum for a private tour. They had a small window of opportunity before the mark left for the Vatican. Arthur had everything planned out. Eames and Yusuf were supposed to be guards. Arthur managed to be one of the guides, and Ariadne would pose as his assistant.

"Get ready, everyone," warned Arthur. "Our mark has just arrived."

Silence fell in the room as everyone shuffled for last minute preparations. Arthur let the curtains fall. It was show time.

~*~*~

 **Wednesday 5:12 A.M.**

"It never ceases to amaze me," observed Ariadne.

"…That I'm versatile in all my roles," Eames struck a pose earning a light smack on the back of his head by Yusuf.

"No," Ariadne said slowly with a hint of patience. To say the least, she was used to Eames' antics. "I mean this extraction business."

Arthur turned enough to see Ariadne. Ariadne was still new to dream sharing. He was reluctant to use Ariadne during jobs, but he would be an idiot to not recognize her talent as one of the best architect he'd worked with. "Cease to amaze you? How?" he asked lightly.

Ariadne shrugged nonchalantly. "I mean putting weeks of preparation and practice into something that's accomplished in just a few hours, how everything could go wrong at a drop of a hat, and not to forget, the component of danger in all this too."

"It's sort of thrilling, isn't it?" commented Eames.

"I believe it is what attracted many into the profession," stated Yusuf.

"The challenge," finished Arthur as he fished out his phone and called their employer. It only took a few minutes before he finished the transaction. "Our money has been wired," announced Arthur.

"Fantastic," grinned Eames. "Now, might I suggest we make ourselves scarce before we chance being caught."

Everyone nodded in agreement as they went to work on packing their belongings at the apartment. The job went surprisingly well; however, they weren't clear yet.

Arthur was the last to leave the apartment, giving it a last cursory glance before shutting the door behind him. He waved for the others to start on ahead as he returned the key to the doorman. Stepping out into the street, he expected to be alone. He was surprised to see both Eames and Ariadne waiting for him.

They had a plan to split up after the job in order to make it hard for anyone to track them. He raised an inquiring eyebrow at them and said, "Why are you two still here?"

Eames answered, "I offered to walk little Ariadne back to her place when she mentioned we should wait for you as well. Yusuf already left."

Arthur understood Eames’ hidden meaning. The streets in Rome at night could be intimidating. Eames wanted to make sure Ariadne was safe. Arthur found himself nodding in agreement with Eames' concern. "Let's get moving then."

Ariadne beamed as she started down the street. "You will call me when..."

A man darted out of the alleyway straight toward Ariadne. The light illuminated by the street lamp showed the man was masked and dressed in black. His gloved hand reached out and made a quick grab for Ariadne's purse. Ariadne shouted in surprise as the purse was yanked out from her arm.

"Oi!'" shouted Eames. "Stop right there you bloody bastard." With that, Eames took off after the man.

"Eames!" Arthur called, wincing at how sharp his voice sounded in the empty street. "Let it go." As usual Eames ignored him. Swearing under his breath, he ran past Ariadne and sprinted after the two.

Arthur leaned forward and lengthened his stride. It didn't take long for him to catch up to Eames. Eames had a concentrated look, but he spared Arthur a smirk before he pressed onward. If Arthur could spare the breath, he would tell Eames exactly what was going through his mind. However, he settled with glaring dangerously back at Eames. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw the thief twitching his hand. Something metallic glinted. Arthur had only a second to react. He reached out and pushed Eames as the shot rang through the death of night. To Arthur's horror, he watched Eames stagger and crumple to the ground.

Something snapped deep inside Arthur that he couldn't explain. He reached for his gun and then another shot discharged for the second time that night. Arthur heard Ariadne scream as he slowed into a jog before he stopped. His chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. He let his arm relax to his side, gun still in hand. A few feet ahead, the thief lay unmoving on the ground.

A wave of dizziness caught Arthur off guard. At first he thought it was from the adrenalin, but he continued to find it difficult to draw in a breath. He looked down at his chest and frowned at the red stain in the front of what used to be his pristine white dress shirt. His knees began to buckle as he folded to the ground.

Death wasn't a new concept to Arthur. He thought he would die eventually during a job. He never thought his life would end on the foul streets in Rome, chasing after a petty thief. Arthur snorted at the ironic situation. He blinked several times up at the empty sky. If only Eames would listen to him in the first place and let the man go... Now the forger was lying somewhere behind him, dead. Soon he would be too. At least he could follow Eames into hell to tell him this was his fault.

Arthur blinked again. This time it took a second longer for him to open them again. He thought he would see the sky, but he found he was staring into Eames' rouge face. "Eames," Arthur croaked. "We're dead."

"Not quite yet, Arthur." Eames’ brows furrowed in concentration as he patted Arthur's chest and applied pressure. "Ariadne is calling for help now. Let me see if I can stem some of this blood."

Arthur suddenly felt wetness on his cheek. Frowning, he raised a shaky hand to his face and found it to be blood that he wiped away. He looked and found Eames' shoulder bleeding. "You're bleeding." Arthur stated the obvious in his wariness.

Eames took a quick glance at his shoulder and shrugged the other one. "Don't fret about it, love." His tone remained calm. "I've survived worst."

Arthur’s chuckle came out as a weak huff. He genuinely felt relieved that both Eames and Ariadne were all right. "I'm glad you'll live." He was mildly surprised on how soft his voice became.

Eames also noticed Arthur’s change in tone. He looked down at Arthur with concern. "Don't go around spitting sentiments at me, Arthur. I might keel over from the surprise.”

Arthur tried to laugh but couldn't muster the strength. Things were becoming blurry around the edges as he tried to focus on Eames' face looming over him. He shivered. Eames said something but he couldn't hear. His ears felt like they were underwater. He strained to hear Eames because it seemed important.

"Arthur...Don't...Darling...."

Of course, Eames had to use those ridiculous pet names, thought Arthur as his mind began to wander. Eames shook his shoulder, bringing him back his attention for a moment.

"Arthur...Stay...Bloody...I..."

Arthur couldn't put together what Eames was trying to say. Warmth suddenly washed over him as he became extremely tired, unable to fight any longer. He felt his body hum and tingle. His last sight was Eames looking desperate as he yelled something else. Arthur sighed and closed his eyes...

~*~*~

 **Tuesday 5:35 A.M.**

Arthur reached over to the nightstand and turned off the alarm. He peered out from under the covers in order to look at the time. The red digits blinked 5:36. He mumbled something into his pillow before heaving himself out of bed.

He sat for a moment with his eyes closed, trying to get his bearings. Despite how fluently he woke when coming out of a dream or when in danger, Arthur naturally was slow to wake. Those times were when his instincts kicked in. Most other days Arthur could be summed up as not a morning person.

Arthur rose out of bed and onto his feet. He shuffled into the bathroom and started his morning routine. Today was the day the job would be finished. After over a month of research and preparations, the job was going live today. Frankly, Arthur was relieved. This job took a toll on him, and he needed this to be over so he could move on. He might even have to take a vacation.

This job wasn't hard; it was a routine extraction. However, after doing four jobs in a row, Arthur felt a little wrung out. He shuffled between team after team, performing extractions. At least this job he had a team he could tolerate: Eames, Ariadne, and Yusuf.

Feeling more refreshed, Arthur exited the bathroom in time to hear the bell chime at the door. He opened the door to allow the bellboy to wheel in his breakfast.

"Grazi." Arthur tipped the man and immediately poured himself a cup of coffee. He hummed with pleasure after his first sip of the scalding coffee. He felt completely human again.

Breakfast consisted of an almond Biscotti and fruit. Arthur sighed as he tucked into his meal. About halfway through, his phone rang. Eames’ name flashed on the phone’s screen. He brought the phone to his ear.

"Oi, Arthur," boomed Eames.

Arthur winced. "What do you want, Eames?"

"Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," said Eames slyly. "What got your knickers wound up at this early in the morning, darling?"

Arthur sighed, "Nothing. Just some tension I'm feeling about finishing this job."

"I wouldn't worry, love. You are one of the best on this matter. I'm sure you have all your ducks in a row, and more."

"Flattery this early in the morning?" Arthur suspected Eames wanted something.

Eames chuckled, "I knew I can't pull a wool over your eye..."

"Enough," interrupted Arthur. "What do you want?" he asked, resigning.

"There's a love." Eames sounded as if he won a small battle. "Since we're here in this fine city of Rome, I thought maybe we could take our dear Ariadne to see the sights."

Arthur's brows furrowed as he leaned back against his chair. "You can take her around after the job is completed, Eames."

"We do have some time to kill," countered Eames. "We don't have to be on the scene until later this evening. We have plenty of time to see the site for a bit."

"You're being persistent," observed Arthur. "Eames, what else is going on?"

Eames sighed on the other end of the receiver. "I sort of promised the peanut that I would take her to see some of the fountains in Rome. You never know what would happen after the job, if we need to run or not. I can’t go back on my word."

"You could have done this on your own, Eames. Why drag me into this?"

"You see," started Eames, sounding chagrin. "I sort of mentioned that you're the better guide for this sort of thing."

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose. He mentally ran through items that needed to be addressed. He came up with nothing except, "Yusuf?"

"Don't worry about Yusuf," reassured Eames. "He'll be camping out at the flat we rented at the Musei Vaticani."

Then there wasn't anything for Arthur to follow up. "I suppose we can do some sightseeing."

"Lovely. We'll meet you…say…around nine o’clock outside that grand hotel of yours."

Arthur confirmed the time and hung up. He sat in a silence for a moment before retrieving his laptop. He needed to brush up on some of the fountains history.

 **Tuesday 9:22 A.M.**

"This is the Triton Fountain sculpted by B...” Arthur rattled off the facts to Ariadne. However, he paused because he felt a strange sensation as if he'd explained this once before. He shook off the weird feeling.

"…Sculpted by Bernini is what Arthur is trying to say," finished Eames as he shot an odd look over at Arthur.

"Are you all right, Arthur?" Ariadne asked. She also observed his hesitation.

Arthur gave Ariadne a tentative smile, trying to soothe her worry. "Yes, I'm fine." Both Eames and Ariadne gave Arthur a look, waiting for him to expand on that thought. Arthur shrugged before he stressed, "I'm fine. I just had...a moment of déjà vu."

"Oh, I had one of those moments before," mentioned Ariadne. She tapped a finger on her chin in thought. "I think during the time of one of my finals. It was very surreal. Of course, I didn't have much sleep either."

"Well, I know what can cure all these déjà vu moments." Eames checked his watch. "How about we head over to that cafe and grab us a nip."

They nodded in agreement and started for the cafe across the street. After Arthur took a sip out of his coffee, he felt better. That was until he spotted a troubled woman trying to juggle her purse, coffee, papers, and little dog walking their way. That sensation he felt earlier returned double fold.

Somehow he knew the women was going to drop her papers on the ground, and the little dog would flinch, tipping her coffee. He half stood and reached out to catch the coffee before the scolding hot liquid could splash onto Ariadne. A sudden image of what would happen came to mind. Ariadne shouting in pain as the coffee splashed on her arm and ruining her white blouses, which led them all to go shopping for a new blouse for Ariadne.

"Good catch, Arthur," said Eames sounding amused and impressed at the same time.

Arthur shook out of his reverie and focused on the present. The lady smiled her thanks for saving her from a scene. Remembering his manners, Arthur bent down to retrieve the fallen papers. He patiently waited until the lady settled her dog and purse in one arm before taking her coffee and papers from Arthur. She smiled and thanked Arthur before she went on her way.

Ariadne leaned in close to Arthur. "That was close. It was almost like you predicted that would happen there, Arthur."

Arthur snorted, trying to dispel the uneasy feeling. "I'm just observant, that's all."

"Doesn't take a genius to see the woman having too much on her plate to spell disaster," chuckled Eames.

They laughed. Arthur forced a smile trying to disregard the image he sensed. Eames was probably right. It was more likely that Arthur saw the potential trouble and averted the situation. That was all.

After the cafe, they all still went clothes shopping when Ariadne spotted a blouse displayed at the window. Arthur tried to ignore the uneasy feeling as he watched Eames giving Ariadne helpful tips on style.

Throughout the rest of the day and wherever the three decided to do, Arthur would get an uneasy feeling that he'd done these events before. He couldn't put his finger on it, so he remained subdued and gave Eames and Ariadne half his attention.

Only Eames appeared to notice as they finally stood in front of the Trevi Fountain. He had been subtly glancing over at Arthur from time to time. Arthur threw in his coin and halfheartedly watched Eames and Ariadne argue about love and wishes.

He finally glanced down his watch and deemed them ready to go. "We have to meet Yusuf. The job goes down in a forty-five minutes."

"What would we do without your punctuality, Arthur?" Eames asked drily.

"I don't know, Eames," said Arthur, trying not to falter at the familiarity of this conversation. "Possibly not get the job done and then be on the run from those who hired you."

Eames turned his nose upward at Arthur and quickly wrapped one strong arm around Ariadne. "Oh how little you think of me, Arthur..."

Arthur felt almost dizzy from the sensation, maybe even nauseated. No, the truth was he honestly didn't know what he felt besides frustration. There was something nagging at him in the back of his mind.

"I refuse to be a part of this argument here." Arthur heard Ariadne say.

"There's no need to worry then," stated Arthur as he turned to leave, with concerns seeded deeply in his thoughts. "We're done here."

Eames took two long strides and caught up with Arthur. "Arthur, is everything all right?" His voice was low, so Ariadne couldn't hear.

"Yes, everything's fine," Arthur answered levelly.

"Well, that's funny," commented Eames. "You seemed preoccupied this whole entire day."

Arthur wasn't going to share his current concerns with Eames. He didn't want to be ridiculed. "It's nothing."

"Are you worried about the job?" Eames pressed.

"No," Arthur said curtly. At least he hoped this sinking feeling he had all day wasn't related to the job.

Eames studied Arthur for a second before he let the matter dropped. Arthur flagged down a taxi. They were off.

~*~*~

 **Wednesday 5:12 A.M.**

"It never ceases to amaze me," observed Ariadne.

"…That I'm versatile in all my roles," Eames struck a pose earning a friendly smack on the back of his head by Yusuf.

"No," Ariadne said slowly. "I mean this extraction business."

"Cease to amaze you? How?" Arthur found himself asking.

Ariadne shrugged nonchalantly. "I mean putting weeks of preparation and practice into something that's accomplished in just a few hours, how everything could go wrong at a drop of a hat..."

Arthur ignored the banter, while he delivered the information to their employers. The transaction took a few moments. "Our money has been wired."

"Fantastic," grinned Eames. "Now, might I suggest we make ourselves scarce before we chance being caught."

Arthur faltered for a half a second as the others busied themselves with packing. A sense of dread came over him. The feeling persisted, and he couldn't shake it off. Preoccupied, he waved the others to go on ahead of him as he finished up.

He stepped out into the street, not surprised to see Eames and Ariadne there. Somehow he knew they were waiting. "Come, we have to move along," he said rather rushed as he walked past them.

Eames and Ariadne shared a look before they fell in step with Arthur. "What is going on?" Eames asked seriously.

"Nothing," Arthur lied, but he slowed down. He resisted the urge to reach to pinch the bridge of his nose. A headache was coming on as he tried to figure out what was bothering him. Something in the back of his mind practically screamed danger. But from where?

Ariadne walked on ahead of them. "I think you're just worrying over nothing, Arthur."

Seeing Ariadne ahead of him and then spotting a shadow in the alleyway triggered Arthur's memory. "There's going to be a thief that will come out to steal Ariadne's purse," he said more to himself.

Eames, however, heard what Arthur said. "What?" He turned toward Arthur ready to demand for an explanation.

"You will call me..." Ariadne started to say before she shouted in surprise when her pursed was yanked out of her hands. The thief ran on without missing a beat.

"Oi!'" shouted Eames. "Stop right there, you bloody bastard." Eames gave Arthur one last strange glance before chasing after the thief.

"Eames," Arthur shouted, but Eames didn't show any signs of stopping. Suddenly, he remembered everything. It was like the gates blocking his memory opened and everything flooded out, including his own death. "Fuck," Arthur swore as he ran after Eames.

Arthur tried to get Eames’ attention – to warn him, but it was a moot point. He then made a decision to draw out his gun for insurance. "Stop," he huffed once he ran next to Eames. "The man has a gun."

On cue, the thief turned slightly with the gun in hand and fired a shot. Arthur did two things in the split second he had. He threw his whole weight into Eames, knocking the forger out of the way and pulled the trigger of his gun. Arthur felt a sharp pain as he landed hard on the street next to Eames.

Before Arthur could grasp for a breath, a gentle hand took him by the shoulders and carefully turned him on his back. He moaned in pain as Eames applied pressure onto the gunshot wound. "Ariande, call for help," Eames shouted above him. Then Eames turned to look down at Arthur. "You stupid git, what the bloody hell did you do that for!?"

"Are you...hurt?" Arthur managed to say softy.

The anger radiating around Eames seemed to dissipate slightly as he exhaled. "No thanks to you," he mumbled.

Arthur nodded once. At least he prevented Eames from getting shot this time around. "The thief?"

Eames turned his head to look over his shoulder. "You shot the sod, but I'm not going to leave from this spot to check if he's alive."

Arthur huffed with amusement. He didn't realize that Eames babbled when he was nervous. His mind momentarily went blank as Eames continued to babble on.

"Hey Arthur, look at me love." Eames tapped the side of Arthur's face

Arthur refocused at Eames for a moment in time to hear Eames say, "Stay with me...everything is going...all right."

Arthur highly doubted that he'd pull through this time. It didn't happen the first time around. He was certain the result would be the same.

"Arthur...Don't...Darling...."

Arthur turned his sluggish thought to how this was all happening and to how it was possible that he was reliving this moment again. His whole body felt light and tingly.

"Arthur...Stay...Bloody...I..."

In his last moment, Arthur had a moment of clarity. He realized...

~*~*~

  
 **Tuesday 5:35 A.M.**

Arthur woke to the sound of his alarm. He sat straight up on the bed in his hotel room. His chest heaved as he reached to touch it, expecting to feel the gaping wound. He found nothing. He turned his head and saw the time to be 5:36 A.M. Tentatively he reached over and shut off the alarm. He swung his legs off the edge of the bed and sat there in deep thought.

“Was that just a dream?” he thought feverishly. He rubbed his face, trying to get his bearings as a wave of disorientation hit him. He reached for his totem and rolled the red die on the nightstand. According to the result, this wasn't a dream.

He stood and walked to the bathroom, needing to splash some water over his face. He stared at his reflection and shuddered. He looked horrible – his face drawn and pale. He slowly parted the buttons of his pajama top to examine his chest. His chest looked smooth and unmarred, but he couldn't shake the thought about the shot. He shook his head. He didn't realize he could still dream without the aid of the PASIV.

Arthur stood there until the door chime brought him out of his reverie. He went to the door and opened it to allow the bellboy to wheel in his breakfast. He thanked the man and sent him on his way as he peeked under the lid to find the same Biscotti and fruit as before.

For the longest time, Arthur stood there staring at the food as a bout of déjà vu hit. After a moment, he disregarded the feeling and poured himself a cup of coffee.

Later, Arthur’s cell phone rang and he automatically answered it.

"Oi, Arthur," boomed Eames.

Arthur winced. "What do you want, Eames?"

"Well, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," said Eames slyly. "What got your knickers wound up at this early in the morning, darling?"

"Nothing," he answered slowly. Something about what Eames said triggered something deep inside Arthur's memory. This had all happened before.

"I wouldn't worry, love," Eames continued over the receiver. "You are one of the best on this matter. I'm sure you have all your ducks in a row, and more some."

Arthur wanted to test his theory. "I'm sorry, Eames. I don't have time to take you and Ariadne around Rome."

There was a long pause as Arthur suspected he caught Eames off guard. Finally Eames asked, "Arthur, how did you know I was going to ask you that?"

He felt a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach as he quickly avoided the answer. "I have some loose ends that I need to take care of. I'm sure you can spout out some interesting facts about the fountains you promised to take Ariadne. You really don't need me to come along."

There was another pause before Eames responded, "Okay, that's actually quite frightening, Arthur, that you know what I promised Ariadne."

Eames didn't know the half of Arthur's fear. From this brief conversation alone, Arthur knew that Eames wasn't feeling the same effects as he was. "If you need me, I'll be with Yusuf in the apartments."

The conversation ended, at least for Arthur. He hung up before Eames could say anything further. He slumped back into his chair, his mind reeling at the newfound situation. Everything came back to him. In all reality he should be dead. Twice now, Arthur died and woke up in his hotel room. He suspected it was Tuesday again. But how? There wasn't any other explanation for this time loop.

Arthur took a calming breath as he tried to organize his thoughts. The one critical point boiled down to the events with the thief all the way to his untimely death. The thief was the key. Arthur was positive now. He needed to stop the event from happening and then maybe time would resume. However, there was still one more question that nagged Arthur. He wanted to know how this was happening and why only him. The only way he could find the answer was what he did best: research.

~*~*~

 **Tuesday 11:20 A.M.**

Arthur arrived at the Musei Vaticani, startling Yusuf when he came through the door unannounced.

"Bloody hell, Arthur!" Yusuf snapped from his perch on the couch. "Give a bloke some warning before you burst in here." He rubbed his chest in exaggeration. "Nearly gave me a heart attack, yeah."

Arthur raised an eyebrow at the provocative sight on the television. "Am I interrupting something?"

Yusuf cursed under his breath as he fumbled with the remote. It took up to a few seconds before he managed to turn off the television. He hung his head in embarrassment. "Arthur, aren't you supposed to be with Eames and Ariadne, scurrying around Rome?"

The corner of Arthur twitched into a small smile. He knew Yusuf had been entertaining himself with porn while they were away, but to actually catch the man in the act was priceless. "I turned them down and decided to finish up work here with you," Arthur said as levelly as he could muster. "I hope you don't mind."

"Yes...I mean...bloody hell," Yusuf finally sighed, accepting the fact that Arthur was here to stay. "I thought we have everything under control."

"We do," said Arthur flatly. His reality came crashing back after his momentary respite. "I came here to do some independent research." He decided early on not to share his situation with anyone yet.

"Well, do you need my assistance?" Yusuf offered as he went to move off the couch.

Arthur waved his hand for Yusuf to sit again and shook his head. Then a thought suddenly occurred. "Yusuf, are you using a different compound for this job that I'm not aware of?"

Yusuf furrowed his brows in concentration. "I've not altered the compound if that's what you're getting at. I'm using the same one for any average extraction. Why?"

Arthur shrugged, trying not to betray his disappointment. He never experienced any of Yusuf's odd chemicals, but he heard tales from Eames that sometimes Yusuf’s experiment could go awry. Things would be simpler if he pegged all the déjà vu on Yusuf's chemicals.

"It's nothing," Arthur started to say as he gathered his laptop in his arm. "I was just curious." He forced a strained smile. "Don't let me interrupt what you're doing. I'll be in the other room and will probable be there the whole time."

Yusuf grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Party's over." Arthur chose to ignore it. Then Yusuf said louder, "Give me a holler if you need any help."

Arthur nodded his consent before locking himself in the next room. He glanced down at the time. He had roughly twelve hours to figure what the hell was going on with him before the job starts. He set the laptop down on the desk trying to stem the feeling of dread. The best thing for him to do at this point was to remain calm. He would figure a way out of this mess. He had too.

~*~*~

 **Tuesday 11:47 P.M.**

"Looks like you found a way to entertain yourself quite well, huh Yusuf?" Arthur heard Eames’ voice boom in the other room.

Arthur momentarily blinked owlishly, trying to adjust his eyesight after hours of staring intensely at the computer screen. He stuck with the idea that this may be a side effect from the prolonged use of Somnacin. However, nothing of relevance came up in his search.

Arthur unfolded himself out of the chair and pulled out his headphones. He figured he would concentrate better if he didn't have to hear Yusuf in the other room, whatever the chemist may be doing.

Arthur stepped out into the main living area where Eames continued to mock Yusuf. Yusuf looked mildly embarrassed. Ariadne smiled with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

"Hey Arthur," Ariadne greeted when she spotted Arthur. "I'm sorry you couldn't make it with us. The Trevi Fountain is magnificent."

Eames sauntered over and swung his arm around Ariadne's shoulder, smirking. "Don't forget to tell Arthur about the wish you made, hmm."

Ariadne actually blushed. "I blame that on Eames. He told me about the myth behind the Trevi." She wiggled her fingers to emphasize her point. "I couldn't help but believe the fountain could grant wishes."

Arthur tensed slightly as he recalled that he haphazardly wished for this job to end, so he could move on with life. He bitterly appreciated the irony of this situation now as he turned away from Ariadne. He walked toward the window and made a show to look out. "Our mark is here."

"That means places everyone," announced Eames herding the rest to get ready.

Arthur continued to stare out of the window in melancholy as the others rustled behind him. The job was the easy part. It was the difficulties afterward that were troubling him. Arthur stayed lost in thought even after the room went quiet, until he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He roused out of his thought enough to look over to find Eames next to him.

"Is everything all right, Arthur?" Eames asked.

If Arthur didn't know better, he thought he heard the underlining concern in Eames' tone. He kept his expression bland as he responded, "I'm fine."

Eames looked dubious. "You forget, my dear Arthur, that I'm a very observant forger." He leaned in closer, crowding into Arthur's personal space. "And I can see you're acting a little off tilt."

Arthur stood his ground, not intimidated by Eames' larger frame. "Nothing is wrong," Arthur grounded out insistently. He took a step back away from Eames. He wasn't backing down, but he wanted this conversation to end.

"Arthur," Eames said seriously. "Is there something you know that would put us in danger during this job?"

Arthur tensed. Was that what Eames thought of him after working together in countless jobs? His eyes hardened with anger when he turned back to look at Eames. "Nothing is going to compromise the job,” Arthur said lowly. “Everything is going to run smoothly as far as I'm concerned." Arthur guaranteed it.

Eames looked like he was smacked across the face under Arthur's tone. He blinked and managed to look apologetic. "I'm sorry love," Eames said quietly, trying to dispel the tension. "You look stressed, and that could only mean some detail on the job that you're not satisfied with."

That made sense, thought Arthur. Eames had seen him at his worst and knew what signs to look for. The forger knew him well. He shouldn't blame Eames for being cautious. Arthur nodded curtly, choosing to acknowledge Eames' apology in silence before exiting the apartment. There was a brief nagging voice in the back of Arthur's mind telling him to share his situation with Eames. However, he quickly stomped on the idea. Eames would think Arthur had lost his mind. He shook his head. "Let's get this over with," Arthur said stiffly.

~*~*~

 **Wednesday 5:12 A.M.**

Arthur quietly puttered around the apartment, methodologically going through each room and collecting any of the team’s belongings. In the background, Ariadne, Eames, and Yusuf were commenting on the completion of their job. Arthur made his comments when it was appropriate and dialed their employer.

Finally, everything was in order. The others were ready to go their separate ways. Arthur's thoughts turned to how he was going to divert the next disaster as he returned the key. There were several ways Arthur could go about this, but he chose to be discreet. When he met up with Ariadne and Eames outside the building he suggested going to a pub, which was down the opposite street where the thief hid.

Ariadne looked quizzically back at Arthur. "I don't think that's a good idea right now. I have a flight to catch in a couple of hours."

Eames also eyed Arthur strangely. "Coming from you, that's an odd thing to suggest." He glanced down the street before looking back at Arthur, his expression neutral. "Is there something that we're missing that you're not at liberty to say, Arthur?"

Ariadne stiffened as her eyes widened with suspicion. "You mean there's something else going down?"

Arthur sighed and rubbed his forehead. He settled for telling them the partial truth. "Look, I know you may have questions, and this isn't related to the job at all." Arthur took a deep breath. "I know we have a thief hiding in one of the alleyways. I would like to avoid that meeting if we can."

Arthur's statement sent the others into silence as they processed what he said. Arthur waited patiently until Eames broke the silence a couple of seconds later by clearing his throat.

"You're right, Arthur. I do have some questions. How about we start with the obvious. How the hell do you know there's a damn thief waiting to jump us?" Eames wanted to say more but stopped before he said calmly, "But I can wait until the coast is clear."

Ariadne gave Eames a weathered look. She looked torn between wanting to follow Arthur's advice or stubbornly demanding answers. She chose a middle ground. "I don't know. Something doesn't feel right. I would feel better if I understand a little more about what's going on."

"Come now, Ariadne," prompted Eames. "If you've been around the block in this business as long as I have, you learn really quickly about those you keep close and those you keep at arm's length. I'll give you a little free advice. Arthur is one of those you keep close."

Arthur understood why Ariadne displayed her uncertainty. However, he was taken by surprise from Eames defending him. By his recollection, that never happened before. It sent a tingle down Arthur's spine. Before he could decipher that further, he said, "I'll try to explain everything that I can after we leave this place."

Eames ticked a finger in the air. "One more free advice, Ariadne. Arthur is a bloody tease."

Arthur scowled at that, but he quickly glanced down at his watch. He visibly relaxed when he saw the time approaching 5:35, which meant the shooting never happened.

Eames nudged Ariadne towards Arthur. "All right peanut, let's get moving."

Ariadne scowled at the nickname and was about to rebuke when she was interrupted by a muffled voice shouting, "Nobody is going anywhere!"

Arthur turned and swore under his breath, "For the love of...” The thief apparently decided not to wait for them at the alleyway. Instead, he took initiative. He came to them with his gun drawn. His hand shook as he aimed clumsily at them.

Eames stuck a thumb at the man. "Is this the wanker you were talking about?" He cocked an eyebrow, looking unimpressed. "Easy there, mate," Eames tried to reason as he subconsciously stepped in front of both Ariadne and Arthur. However, that little movement was enough to startle the amateur thief.

The thief fired. Arthur had a split second to pull Eames out of the way. The stray bullet embedded itself into Arthur's chest. He heard Eames shouting something and Ariadne screaming, but he managed to block that out of his mind. His only thought as he struck the pavement was, Damn, I never got to shoot the bastard.

~*~*~

 **Tuesday 5:35 A.M.**

Arthur sat straight up in bed and slammed his hand over the alarm. He screwed his eyes shut as he tried to slow his respiration. He fought off a wave of dizziness as the memories of the past day slammed into his mind. At least he was recalling the events quicker. Arthur made a swift mental calculation. This had to be his third time loop.

"Damn it." Arthur rubbed his face as he swung his legs off the edge of the bed. Out of routine he palmed his totem. He was back where he started with no lead of what was going on. He still ended up killed by a petty, jittery thief.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Nothing changed. His only lead was to stop that thief, and he couldn't do that if he kept getting shot. However, another way came to mind.

Arthur fumbled for his cell phone and dialed Eames' number. It rang four times before Eames’ groggy voice grunted over the receiver. He didn't waste any time before he said, "Eames, something has happened, and I have to leave."

That caught Eames’ attention. He suddenly bombarded Arthur with a string of questions. "Have we been made? Do we need to go underground? What the bloody hell is going on? Arthur?"

Arthur allowed Eames to rant on. "Eames, stop," commanded Arthur, bringing Eames to a halt. "We haven't been made as far as I know. The team is not in trouble. Everything is fine."

"Except something has happened, and you need to drop this job," reiterated Eames.

Arthur sighed, "Yes."

There was a brief pause where Arthur figured that Eames was gathering his thoughts. "Arthur, are you in trouble?" Eames asked lowly, but it was the way Eames growled his name that caught Arthur off guard.

Arthur shook his head and cleared his throat. "Yes and no," Arthur responded.

"Would you take offense if I say that now is not the time to be cryptic?"

Arthur cracked a small smile. "Do you think you can handle the job without me, Eames?"

"Sure, sure," Eames stated sarcastically. "I can be the forger, extractor, and run the point."

Arthur scrubbed his face. "We don’t have go through with the job." It would be more of a hassle for him to manage their employer. It might also result in having a price on his head, but at least Ariadne and Eames wouldn't be on site at all.

Eames partially read Arthur's mind. "We'll all be on death row if we did that, Arthur. Or knowing you, you would take the all the blame. Can't have you playing the martyr."

Arthur actually snorted. "I'm never the one to play the martyr."

"You're right," Eames chuckled throatily. "We already have one of those, but Cobb's not here."

Arthur rolled his eyes and shook his head even though Eames couldn't see. However, he suspected that Eames could sense his amusement even as he said, "The man isn't here, and you're mouthing him off."

"I'd gladly say it to his face if you fancy that," Eames huffed. "I'll let you watch the fallout if you'd like."

Even after a year, Arthur believed Eames hadn't entirely forgiven Cobb during inception. Even after a year, he didn't know if he’d forgiven Cobb either. He understood his intentions, but there were other ways Cobb could approach things. Yet understanding and forgiving were two different things.

"Look Arthur," Eames continued, bringing them back to the topic. His tone sounded concerned. "Tell me. Are you in trouble?"

Arthur searched for an appropriate answer and finally settled with, "I don't know yet." One thing he could count on with Eames was the fact the forger won't push.

He heard Eames exhaling over the receiver. "Right then, I think we can handle ourselves. You pretty much paved the road for us. But, Arthur, promise me you'll call if you need a hand." Then as an afterthought Eames said, "I'll promise you I'll give you half the rate of what I charge."

"I'll keep that in mind," Arthur answered drily.

Before Arthur hung up, Eames chimed the last words, "Arthur, whether you want it or not, I'll keep an ear out for you."

Arthur hung up afterwards, thinking. He shuddered as another tingling feeling crawled down his spine. Other than Cobb, he never had anyone else he trusted watch his back. Somehow Eames managed that feat. He indulged on that thought a moment longer before he buried it in the back of his mind. First thing’s first: He had to pack and check out of his hotel.

~*~*~

 **Wednesday 5:12 A.M.**

Stakeouts were Arthur's least favorite thing to do. He wondered vaguely how Eames could do it from time to time when he had to learn his mark. Arthur sighed and took a sip from his thermos. He wouldn't admit that this was his fifth refill. His laptop hummed quietly in the seat next to him along with an unorganized pile of files. He started taking notes to help organize his thoughts. There wasn't much he could do while waiting. He stayed primarily in his car throughout most of the day, leaving only when necessary.

He checked the time – 5:15 A.M. At that moment, he saw movement in the alleyway. A young man, with dirty blonde hair and narrowing features conspicuously slipped into the alleyway. Arthur could literally bet his life that he had found the thief.

Getting out of his car, Arthur moved casually into the next alleyway. He hoped he could sneak up from behind the thief and take him out of play with the element of surprise. He moved quietly, his steps careful as he made his way over. Finally he saw his target leaning against the wall, looking for any activity on the street. Arthur looked around from his position. He saw a good stretch of the main road from where he stood and yet his position was enclosed in the shadows. He admitted that this was a perfect location for any street robber.

Arthur pressed onward, his gun already out and low to his side. He managed to get within a couple of feet from the thief before the man noticed his presence. The rest happened quickly that it could be described as comical. The man jumped. When he landed he rolled his ankle and effectively fell backwards onto his ass. He then proceeded to try to scoot away from Arthur on his bottom. All the while, the man tried to reach for his gun.

Arthur shook his head and raised his gun. "Hands where I can see them, now." He didn't raise his voice but kept it even and stern. The man was younger than what Arthur anticipated. He couldn't be more than 18 years old. However, Arthur didn't waver. This boy might be young, but he shot and killed Arthur three times already after threatening his friends.

"Please, please, please..." the young man chanted as he held his hands away from his body, his eyes rounded with fear. He became desperate as he stared into the end of the gun barrel.

Arthur clenched his jaw and thinned his lips. He stepped closer, causing the boy to yelp. He brought the gun closer, staying silent. The thief threw his hands up over his head in his last defense. Arthur nearly sighed then. He brought the butt of the gun down hard on the side of the boy's head. He watched as the kid toppled to his side, unconscious.

Next, Arthur whipped out his cell and notified the officials about a robbery. Immediately after the task, he heard Ariadne's voice approaching. He crouched, staying out of sight.

"Eames, you sure Arthur is all right?" Ariadne asked. Her tone sounded like this wasn't her first time asking.

"Arthur is a very resourceful man," Eames answered.

"What kind of answer is that," argued Ariande.

"A vague one," admitted Eames. "Look, Ariande, Arthur didn't give any details. And before you ask, I didn't question him either."

"Why not?" Ariadne persisted.

By now Eames and Ariande were in Arthur's full view. Arthur watched Eames stopping to address Ariadne.

"Ariadne, what we do isn't exactly legal. It's not uncommon for any one of us to drop off the radar. I mean, look at Cobb."

Arthur was certain Eames meant to reassure Ariadne, but Ariadne frowned with that last comment.

"I really don't like this," Ariadne said quietly.

Eames scrubbed his face, looking exhausted. "I don't like it either, bit."

"We should call Arthur," suggested Ariadne. "We can tell him how well the job went."

Eames grinned tightly. "Knowing our Arthur, he probably changed his number."

Arthur snorted. He indeed changed his number.

"Let me do the worrying, bit," consoled Eames. "I have a knack for tracking down Arthur if I need to."

"You worry about him too, don't you Eames?"

Eames didn't answer. Instead, he walked past Ariadne. "Come along, bit."

Ariadne rushed to follow Eames. "You will call me..."

Their voices trailed off. Arthur promised he would call them once things sort themselves out. He glanced down at the time. It was now 5:34 A.M. He wasn't dead. His friends weren't hurt. Life might start to resume.

Arthur's head snapped up when he thought he heard something beep. He searched the alleyway for the source of the sound. This time he got up from his crouched position. The beeping became louder and more persistent. He blinked once, twice, and once more. His body started to feel light. By the fifth blink, he opened his eyes to the familiar sight of the hotel's ceiling. The alarm beeped steadily on the nightstand next to him. Tuesday, 5:36 A.M.

The horror settled over Arthur as he realized he'd failed. "Shit."

~*~*~

 **(31st) Tuesday 5:35 A.M.**

Beep...Beep...Beep

Arthur didn't bother to suppress a groan as he reached blindly for the gun under his pillow. He buried his face in the pillow and pressed the cold tip of the gun to his head. He pulled the trigger...

~*~*~

 **(32nd) Tuesday 5:35 AM**

Beep...Beep...Beep

Arthur cursed under his breath and palmed the whole alarm in his hand. With one strong jerk, he yanked the alarm off the table and sent it sailing across the room. He rolled over onto his side when he heard the satisfying crash of the alarm shattering to pieces. Note to self, Arthur thought. Never shoot self again. The result, immediate migraine.

The bell chime woke him up a while later. It was the room service with his breakfast. Arthur couldn't summon the strength to answer. Instead, he pulled the covers up over his head and ignored the second chime. The bellboy was smart enough to leave if no one answered.

His phone woke him up next. He knew it was Eames calling right on schedule and promptly ignored it. The phone went silent before it buzzed, indicating a text message. A second later the phone buzzed again. Another moment later, the phone rang again. Arthur's eyebrows ticked with frustration as he took his phone and sent it flying across the room where it could join the alarm clock.

Arthur fell back onto his bed. After 32 days – yes, he'd painfully counted – he felt hopelessly helpless. Anything he did wouldn't matter. Tomorrow would never come. This was hell, and it wasn't worth getting out of bed. He tried and failed to break the time loop multiple times. He finally hit the wall. Time didn't have any meaning. It was everything Arthur could do now to keep sane. He closed his eyes as the last sap of energy drained out of his body. God, he wished this pounding headache would go away.

Some time roughly before noon, Arthur heard a knock. He ignored it, hoping whoever was at his door would get the hint and leave. The knocking persisted annoyingly. Then he heard a muffled voice, "Arthur, this is Eames. I'm coming in."

Arthur watched listlessly from his position in bed. The doorknob shifted, followed by a series of clicks. A few seconds later, the door swung open. Eames moved in. His shoulder framed by the door. Arthur didn't realize how broad Eames' shoulders were until that moment.

"Arthur?" Eames called out softly as he walked further into the room. The door closed behind him with another soft click. His eyes shifted from side to side, searching for any signs of foul play. Arthur would laugh if he weren’t feeling so damn tired.

Eames frowned at the sight of what remained of the clock and cell phone. His gaze shifted to the figure on the bed. He visibly relaxed as he breathed, "Oh Arthur." He knelt beside the bed. "Are you not feeling well, hmm?" Eames' voice was low and soothing.

"No, I'm fine. Now leave me alone," Arthur attempted to say but it came out more like a mumbled groan.

Eames frowned and lifted his hand to feel Arthur's forehead. "I don't feel a fever."

Arthur wanted nothing more than to shake Eames’ hand off, but again, he couldn't muster the strength. Besides, Arthur thought it felt nice, like a soothing balm. He sighed and decided he momentarily lost his sanity. It may even be his imagination when he felt Eames card his fingertips through his un-gelled hair.

"I knew one day that your uptight work ethics would cause you to become ill," said Eames. His face was abnormally close to Arthur.

"Shut up," Arthur growled back.

Eames chuckled, his eyes sparked with relief. "There you are. I knew the Arthur I knew was there somewhere."

Out of the corner of his eye, Arthur saw Eames rubbing his poker chip. He sighed again, "I'm fine." He was relieved that his voice sounded clearer. "Don't worry."

"Don't flatter yourself to think I'm actually worried." Eames pressed his lips together into a thin line as he stood up. He left Arthur's side and out of his sight.

Arthur closed his eyes. He figured Eames would leave now that he knew he wasn't in danger. Then he heard Eames talking quietly. Curious, Arthur opened his eye and pushed himself onto his elbow. He barely saw Eames in the little kitchenette, cell phone pressed against his ear as he fiddled around with something on the stove. Eames spoke in a low tone for Arthur to catch anything that was said. Giving up, Arthur lay back down on the mattress.

After a few minutes, Eames' mumbling stopped. Arthur heard the forger approaching. "All right Arthur, you probably haven’t eaten anything all day. I can't have you wasting away before me."

Arthur saw Eames holding a prepared tray. He frowned, wondering what Eames was playing at. For a moment, Arthur thought about kicking Eames out. He didn't need help, at least not this kind of help. Then he saw the determined look on Eames' expression and knew it would be an effort to get rid of him. Instead, he shifted so that he sat up in bed cross-legged, facing Eames.

Eames grinned approvingly before setting the tray in front of Arthur. He looked at him expectantly. Arthur gave Eames an exasperated look before inspecting the items on the tray. He found hot tea, a plate of toast, and a bottle of pills for his migraine, at which Arthur raised his eyebrows. He must look terrible if Eames knew he had a migraine.

"Sorry, I would make you something stronger from the mini bar," started Eames, "but I thought it would react badly with the medication." Then he pulled a chair next to Arthur before watching him expectantly.

If Arthur didn't know any better, he thought Eames was mothering him. That was a new concept associated with Eames. Resigning to the fact he had a mother hen, Arthur tentatively took a sip of the hot green tea. He couldn't quite contain a hum of pleasure as the tea scorched his mouth. He then ate half of the toast before he took two pills. He tried to ignore the fact that Eames watched him the whole time. He finished the rest of the toast and allowed Eames to clear the tray away.

Arthur watched for a moment before lying back down. Now that Eames was done, he expected the man to leave. Unfortunately, he saw Eames settling on the couch and pulling out his phone.

"Eames, what the hell are you doing?" Arthur grumbled from the bed.

Eames didn't bother looking up from his phone. "Currently, I'm shooting these perturbed birds at these pesky green pigs. This is a bloody addicting game."

"I mean," stressed Arthur, "why are you still here?"

Finally, Eames looked up and shrugged. "Because I want to be."

"What about Ariadne?" pressed Arthur. "Didn't you promise her a tour of Rome?"

If Eames was surprised, he hid it well. "I'm not even going to attempt to figure out how you knew that, Arthur, but I’ll have you know that I've canceled our little outing a moment ago. Now don't mind me. I promise I won't take advantage of you while you're not feeling well, so go to sleep, Mr. Arthur."

Arthur puffed his cheeks before letting his breath out slowly. There was no helping it. Eames was here to stay whether he liked it or not. Arthur closed his eyes and ignored the other man in the room.

Again time lapsed and when Arthur woke up, he heard Eames in the kitchen. The room was dimly lit so not to disturb him, giving the room a mysterious look. Arthur glanced out of the window and noticed it was dark. He must have slept through the afternoon.

"Looks like sleeping beauty decided to wake up after all," stated Eames from the kitchen.

Arthur grumbled something along the lines of fuck you before swinging his legs off the bed. He rubbed his head. The pounding headache was replaced by a muffled feeling he often got after taking medication. Grunting, he hefted himself to his feet.

He ignored the fact that Eames watched him from across the room as if he was going to pounce to the rescue if Arthur faltered. He snorted and shuffled into the bathroom. He emerged some time later to find Eames laying out food on the table.

Eames eyed him briefly before fixing a plate for Arthur. "You still look like shit, Arthur, but at least you look more presentable."

"Have you been here the whole time?" Arthur asked, ignoring Eames' remark as he sat by the table. He wasn't really hungry, but he ate for the purpose of eating. Besides, Eames looking worried was bothersome.

Eames plucked some fruit off of Arthur's plate before answering, "Yes, but I'll be leaving soon. I've got to meet up with Ariadne and Yusuf."

The job, thought Arthur. How could he have forgotten? It was probably because he hadn't completed the job since he stopped the thief. "I guess I should get ready then," Arthur said flatly, attempting to keep up the facade.

"Nope," Eames asserted as he took a seat across from Arthur.

Arthur looked up. "What?"

"Er, don't get upset now, Arthur," soothed Eames. "I was thinking that you shouldn't be out on the field in your condition. I'm sure we can handle things on our own."

A sudden memory drowned out all other thoughts as Arthur recalled one of the many Tuesdays. He stood outside one of the great libraries in Rome. He was waiting for the time to rewind itself when he received a call. He remembered picking up the phone when he realized it was Eames. On the other end of the phone, Eames bragged about how simple the job was and how he should have been there. Arthur was about to respond when he heard a gunshot. The phone cut dead afterwards.

The gunshot didn't bother him, but the silence that followed was the worst. At that time, Arthur was too far away to do anything. Time ran out before he could follow up on his friends. He shuddered as he remembered waking up to the thought of his friends lying dead on the street. He frequently reminded himself that time reverted itself and his friends were alive – at least, for now.

"All right there, Arthur?" Eames startled Arthur out of his thoughts. "You're shaking."

Arthur glanced down and found Eames' large hand covering his own. Their joined hands looked almost natural, like this was done on a daily basis. Arthur removed his hand, disturbed. "Don't go," he finally blurted out.

"I beg your pardon?"

"The job," Arthur said slowly, trying to figure what to say next to convince Eames to drop the case without questioning him. "Please, don't go through with it."

There must have been something in Arthur's expression that made Eames hesitate. He was taken by surprise when Eames agreed, "All right, let me call the gang and tell them the job's canceled."

Just like that, no questioning or complaining, Eames complied with Arthur's wish. Something about that unsettled Arthur. He watched Eames excusing himself from the table to make some phone calls. Again he didn't hear what was being said, but Eames' voice rose a couple of times when he talked to Yusuf. Things quieted down, and after a moment, Eames settled back in his seat.

"Is everything all right with Yusuf?" Arthur asked from the lack of anything better to say.

Eames waved his hand in disregard. "Sure, sure, old Yusuf will be fine. Oh, and Ariadne is worried about you too. You should give her a ring and explain what you can to her." He tapped his fingers on the table. "What should we do now, love? Shall we play a game of chance, or would you rather we watch the telly?"

This was too surreal for Arthur to keep his thoughts to himself any longer. "Why are you doing this?"

Eames arched an eyebrow. "Because you asked me to," he answered simply as he withdrew a deck of cards from his pocket.

Arthur shook his head and took a breath. "Don't you have questions?"

"Plenty." Eames began shuffling the cards.

"What's stopping you then?" Arthur questioned.

The corner of Eames' eyes wrinkled slightly in amusement as he dealt the cards. "If I didn't know any better, Arthur, you're trying to confuse me. You seem to prefer I don't ask questions, yet you're annoyed that I don't attempt to question your odd motives. Am I denying you the pleasure of denying me, love?"

Arthur huffed as he picked up the cards. He let the subject drop without a word. They played silently. The only sound heard was the flicking of cards.

After a couple of rounds, Eames broke the silence. "When you asked me not to go...” Eames paused to draw a card, "I never seen you so devastated."

Arthur nodded, acknowledging Eames' confession without commenting. He laid his hand down: aces, three of a kind.

Eames blinked at the cards before mumbling something under his breath. He roughly threw down his cards and leaned back into his chair. He lost all three times. "Remind me to never play anything serious with you, darling. I might loose my shirt."

Arthur couldn't help it. The corners of his lips curved into a small smile as he gathered the cards. He couldn't remember when the last time he smiled. "You might be better off without one," he said before his mind fully processed that he shouldn't have said that out loud.

Without missing a beat, Eames pounced on Arthur's mistake. "My ears are burning. That sounded like you're flirting with me?"

Arthur shook his head a little too viciously. "No," he said firmly.

"Really Arthur, if you wanted me topless you can just say so." Eames leaned forward and wiggled his brows suggestively. "I think I just figured your clever ploy."

Arthur was certain that no matter what he said or did, he wouldn't be able to stop Eames' antics. He waited for the inevitable, like a charging bull seeing red.

Eames took a breath, "I think you've secretly planned to ensnare me into your room and convince me to cancel the job so that you can have your wicked ways with me."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, playing along for once. "And what, pray tell, am I going to do once I have you here?"

Eames gave Arthur a look and stated the obvious, "Shag."

The image of them having sex over the table flooded Arthur's mind. His lean form flushed against Eames' muscular one. A rush of heat claimed his cheeks, and he quickly covered his face with his palm. Something, not entirely unpleasant, stirred at the pit of his stomach.

Fortunately, Eames misinterpreted his embarrassment for something else altogether. "Arthur, is it your headache again?"

Arthur shook his head slightly and reeled his imagination back in line. He cleared his throat, "I'm more tired than I thought." He made a show of handing the cards back to Eames.

Eames nodded and accepted the cards. Arthur was grateful Eames didn't push. Still shaken by the image his mind created, he stood up and made his way toward the couch. Eames joined him shortly, turning on the television. While Eames flipped through the channels, Arthur sat on his side of the couch, trying to ignore Eames’ close proximity.

They remained quiet. Eames stayed entertained by whatever program he watched. Arthur pretended to doze as he thought about his current predicament. He always felt an attraction toward Eames at some level, but never felt the urge to act on that attraction. He admitted that they worked well together, even better than with Cobb on certain aspects. They worked and trained in dream sharing for as long as Arthur could remember. It was out of necessity that they've become familiar with each other on a professional level, but it never occurred to him to pursue something more.

He knew Eames was relentless with all the flirting. However, he observed that behavior with everyone the forger encountered, so he never thought much of it. Eames was being...well, Eames. So why now? Arthur silently questioned himself. Was it because he felt lonely? Or maybe he sought comfort from someone familiar because he was trapped in this damn time cage.

Arthur cracked open his eyes to spy on the person beside him. Eames sported a small smirk as he saw something amusing on the screen. He had to admit that, despite the dreadful day, having Eames with him helped. Taking a quick glance at his watch, Arthur realized time was about to run out. He sighed.

The slight movement attracted Eames’ attention. The forger glanced over at Arthur. "All right there, Arthur?"

Arthur nodded and straightened up. He only had a minute left, and he suddenly felt bold. There wasn't anything to lose. Eames wouldn't remember anything that happened between them. He leaned forward before he lost his nerve and planted a chaste kiss on Eames' lips.

For his part, Eames didn't resist. He even surprised Arthur by returning the kiss with his own. When Arthur sat back, he was taken aback by the look of pleasure on Eames' expression. The forger's eyes were half hooded before they widened in realization of what happened. Then Arthur witnessed Eames rubbing his totem rapidly.

"This isn't a dream," Eames stated as a matter-of-fact. A smile bloomed on his face. "Arthur, why..."

Arthur couldn't hear the rest of what Eames said as all sound was drowned out by the dreaded alarm. Eames faded out of sight and the next moment he was staring at the ceiling from his bed. All was quiet except for the alarm. For once he ignored the sound. Instead, he reached up and lightly ran a fingertip along his lips, intrigued.

~*~*~

 **(33rd) Tuesday 3:00 P.M.**

Arthur leaned against the bridge Pons Cestius, looking over the Tiber River. He rested against the stone ledge, peering down at the stirring river. The sound was a consistent roar below. He allowed himself to become lost. Every now and then he sensed people walking behind him shooting curious looks his way. They probably thought he might jump. It wouldn't matter even if he did, he would wake up back in the hotel with the day starting over again.

This morning Arthur wanted to leave the hotel. He felt trapped and needed to be out in the open. Needing a place to think, he found himself at the Pons Cestius. His thoughts, for once, weren't concentrated on the time loop, but instead turned towards Eames and the kiss.

"A pound for your thoughts," Eames said as he suddenly stepped up next to Arthur.

Startled, Arthur turned to glare at the forger. "Asshole, what are you doing here?" He felt unnerved for having the person on his mind suddenly appear.

Eames smiled broadly, anticipating Arthur's reaction. "Looking for you, and that wasn't an easy task, mind you." He leaned his elbows against the stone, his shoulder brushing against Arthur's. "By the way, you left your phone at the hotel." With a flick of his hand, he palmed Arthur's cell phone.

Arthur snatched his phone. Yes, he deliberately left his phone at the hotel, not wanting to talk to anyone. He also knew that Eames would break into his hotel room. In fact, that was also one of the reasons why he made himself scarce. However, he wasn't counting on Eames to find him all the way here. "How did you find me?"

"I think I vaguely recalled you mentioning that you admire the architectural structures of the bridges during one of our many jobs." Eames rubbed his chin absently. "After deciding that you weren't kidnapped, it was a matter of knowing which bridge to find you."

For a second or two, Arthur was rendered speechless. "Eames, I am impressed." He meant it too.

Eames didn't smile when he said, "And once again, your condescension is very much appreciated." He looked directly at Arthur. "Are you planning on jumping, Arthur?"

Arthur glanced back at Eames and realized the tension thrumming around the man. He quickly answered, "No."

Eames didn't relax. "This isn't like you, Arthur, running off on the eve of a job."

Arthur realized that Eames was angry. "I'm not running." He faced the river again.

"Disappearing without a word, not taking your phone." Eames threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Bloody hell, it looked like it from my point of view," Eames said angrily.

Suddenly, Arthur realized that Eames' outburst was because he needed an outlet for his worry. When Eames broke into the hotel the first time, Arthur saw the same tension he witnessed now. It was only because he saw Arthur looking ill did he relent that anger. Now Eames found the hotel room empty, he could only imagine what was going through Eames' mind then.

"I'm sorry for worrying you," Arthur said quietly.

Shocked, Eames took a step back. "Arthur, did you just do a human thing and apologize?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Eames, I'm very capable of apologizing when it's due."

Eames fumbled for his phone and pressed record. "Can I get this on record?"

Arthur glared at Eames before turning his back to him, walking toward the opposite side of the bridge. From this view he saw a crowd of people strolling down the walkway below him. He finally felt at ease. Here, on this bridge, it didn't feel like the same Tuesday he suffered over and over again. He sensed Eames standing a few steps behind him.

"You were wrong by the way," Eames said suddenly. "I wasn't worried."

That was a lie that Arthur spotted a few miles away. "I know."

"Now, I'm going out on a limb here." Eames stepped up next to Arthur, facing him. "I think there's something bothering you."

"I wonder what gave that away," said Arthur sarcastically.

Eames raised an eyebrow. "Don't get snippy, Arthur. It doesn't suit you."

A bark of laughter burst out, causing Arthur to double over slightly. It didn't matter if there was a hint of insanity beneath the laughter. "You...have...no idea what's going on with me," he said breathlessly and lowly.

"You don't have to shoulder the whole bloody world on those slim shoulders of yours," Eames said carefully. "I'm right here."

Eames offered an opening for Arthur to tell him everything. It would probably be a relief to have someone else shoulder his burden. However, Arthur was a point man. His ability to research, anticipate, and divert problems in the job made him the best. He knew it wouldn't take a day to solve this time predicament. After 24 hours Eames wouldn't remember this conversation let alone know what was going on with him. Arthur would be back to square one.

Arthur bowed his head. Once again he felt lost. "Eames, I'm so tired," he allowed himself to admit, not bothering to mask the weariness in his tone.

In a heartbeat, Eames grabbed Arthur's wrist, tugging him forward. Arthur took a few steps towards Eames, his eyes wide when he thought Eames was drawing him into an embrace. However, Eames turned at the last moment before Arthur crashed into him, still holding onto his wrist. After the initial shock wore off, Arthur realized that Eames was pulling him somewhere.

"Eames, where the hell are you taking me?" demanded Arthur. He experimented tugging free from Eames' grasp, but Eames only tightened his hold.

Eames turned to look over his shoulder. He had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes before stating, "I'm not letting you be a stick in the mud this time. You'll know when we get there."

Arthur quieted down and let Eames usher him into a cab. He sat, watching the city go by. Everything was a blur. He didn't recognize where they were going. Eames wasn't any help either. Once they were close to their destination, Eames tapped his shoulder and waved a salmon-pink handkerchief. He stared at the offensive cloth hard.

"Do you trust me?" Eames asked with a smile.

"Hardly," Arthur replied but he closed his eyes anyways and allowed Eames to tie the cloth over his eyes. "Should I worry?" Arthur deadpanned. This was Eames after all.

"Why Arthur, I'm hurt by your lack of confidence in me." Eames finished tying the blindfold. "Besides, there is a little something called payback for sending me on that little wild goose chase," he practically growled that in Arthur's ear.

Arthur's breath hitched quietly as his active imagination took over: him blindfolded with his hands tied above his head and Eames whispering in his ears. The funny thing was Arthur never considered bondage or even relenting any of his control. However, with Eames...

"Too tight?" Eames asked somewhere near Arthur’s right ear.

Arthur suppressed a shudder. Eames didn't realize how much his voice affected Arthur when it was pitched low and husky like that. Damn him. He absently reached for the blindfold, wanting to pull it off, but Eames kept his hand in place.

Eames tsked, "No cheating. Oi, we're here anyways."

Arthur felt the cab stop, but most of all, he felt Eames’ hand over his own, warm and secure. Eames carefully guided Arthur out of the cab. He stayed by his side while Eames paid the driver. He then led Arthur a few paces away. Arthur could only imagine the impression they made: him blindfolded and Eames leading him around the grounds.

They were in a crowd of people with laughter and the low hum of talking in the background. The air mixed with different smells of food, sweat, hay and some sort of...livestock? Where the hell did Eames take him?

"All right, you can take that blindfold off," announced Eames.

Arthur didn't waste any time tearing off the offensive cloth. He blinked a few times. When his sight focused at the site, he chuckled in disbelief. "What the hell, Eames? You took me to Luna Park?"

The colorful booth, painted red and gold, had an obscene face grinning in greeting for those walking past. The most prominent attraction that Arthur could see was the Ferris wheel towering over the trees. He turned to look at Eames, who was studying him intently. "Shouldn't this place be more suited for Ariadne?"

"Shit," Eames swore loudly as he reached for his phone. "I forgot to call her once I've found you."

Arthur waited patiently as Eames placed the call. He smiled when he heard Eames reassuring Ariadne that he was alive and well. Then Eames strategically avoided telling Ariadne where they were. "Arthur and I have some business to take care of, Ariadne. How about I'll take you around to see the fountains the next chance we have. Maybe I'll even convince Arthur to come along. You know, the more the merrier and so forth..."

After another second, Eames hung up and turned back to Arthur. He picked up the conversation before the interruption. "You know, I did suggest taking Ariadne here, but she appeared insulted that I even mentioned an amusement park. She preferred to see the fountains."

"And so you thought to bring me here instead?" asked Arthur levelly, trying to understand Eames’ angle.

"Well, granted this isn't Disneyland," Eames defended lamely. "I thought...well, you looked like you needed a bit of a pick-me-upper."

"God, I haven't set foot into a amusement park since…" Arthur mentally calculated, "…since I was fifteen."

"Then it's about time you visit your childhood again." Then Eames added, "It's healthy to do so every now and then. At least, so I was told."

Arthur looked doubtful. He didn't know if coming here was more for Eames’ benefit rather than cheering him up. However, the man was trying to make things better for him after all. He couldn't fault Eames for trying, even though Eames didn't know all the details. He came to a decision and thought what the hell. He could afford to relax. "Come along, you idiot."

"I knew somewhere deep down you're capable of having fun," Eames laughed.

Arthur ignored Eames. Together they walked through the entrance. From there, Arthur became uncertain on what to do. Thankfully, Eames took charge. He led Arthur through the crowd of people. His broad frame enabled him to part through the crowd easily. He gestured for Arthur to stay and disappeared into the crowd clustered around several booths.

He stood aside to avoid being trampled by families and large groups of children. A few moments later, Eames returned balancing a tray of greasy food and drinks in one hand and munching on something fried on a stick in the other hand.

"The food is one of the many enjoyments to have in an amusement park." Eames handed the tray to Arthur. "There's nothing healthy there, love, so don't bother looking."

Arthur shrugged as he popped several fries into his mouth. He wasn't picky about food and didn't bother correcting Eames that he didn't always eat healthy. However, Eames caught on anyways.

Eames smiled broadly. "Ha, I knew you weren't a rabbit, eating all those leafy foods."

"I indulge every now and then," replied Arthur. "There's a lot that you don't know about me."

"Is that a challenge, pet?" Eames chuckled, "I'm always up to a challenge."

"Whatever." It didn't matter what Eames discovered here. The slate would be wiped clean on the morrow, he reminded himself sadly.

Detecting a mood change, Eames rushed Arthur deeper into the park. "So what do you fancy doing first?"

"You're asking me?" Arthur snorted.

"My apologies," Eames said, rolling his eyes. "I don't know what came over me, getting your opinion on the subject of fun." Then something caught Eames' eyes. He began steering Arthur towards the game booths. "How are you with darts?"

Arthur's eyes glinted when he saw the booth where folks were throwing darts at balloons. Stuffed animals and treats draped along the side. "I've played before," Arthur finally answered, keeping his tone nonchalant.

"Excellent." Eames handed the booth clerk the exact change, receiving six darts – three each. He balanced the dart in his hand. "I have to warn you, Arthur, I spent most of my time in local pubs..."

Without wasting time, Arthur threw his darts one after another without much thought, hitting his targets. He cocked his eyebrow at Eames, smirking as he effectively silenced the man. "Like I said, I played before."

Eames crossed his arms and glared down at Arthur. "I can see." He threw his darts, also hitting his targets.

They glared at each other in silent challenge. They both slap down their money and began the dart match. Soon they attracted a crowd of people with their makeshift duel. The balloons were rapidly decreasing. Finally, they were down to their last dart. Arthur stood several paces back at a ridiculous distance from the board.

"This might be a little much for even you, Arthur," taunted Eames.

"Shut up," Arthur growled.

Eames scratched his chin. "You played a good game. There isn't any shame in missing this one."

"Shut. Up. Eames." Arthur quickly aimed and pulled his arm back. He then released the dart before Eames could distract him further. The dart cut through the air. The people surrounding them held their breaths as the dart sailed past them. The dart struck the board. The balloon shifted but didn't burst.

Eames patted Arthur on his shoulder. "Good show there, mate. Now stand aside and let a professional take the glory."

Eames shouldered Arthur aside before taking his place. Arthur huffed and had a nerve to tip Eames' arm to throw his aim off but decided at the last moment that would be childish. Arthur was above that. Instead, he turned his back, waiting for the crowd to cheer at Eames’ success. When he heard the disappointed awe, he pivoted on his heels to peek around Eames' frame. Eames' dart landed a few millimeters above Arthur's. The balloon was still intact.

The crowd applauded their efforts before dispersing. Eames looked over his shoulder and shrugged. "I suppose it's a draw. We need to team up at the pub some time. We'll be a terror."

Arthur agreed, "Too well, others will be afraid to challenge us. We'll have to bar hop."

"I see no problem with that, love."

They both approached the booth where the booth clerk greeted them by applauding. He handed them giant teddy bears, one brown and one black, each having a red bow tie. Arthur accepted the black stuffed animal reluctantly. "Oh god," he breathed, uncertain what to do with the giant stuffed toy. "There's no way I'm lugging this thing around." He looked at Eames, who had his giant bear tucked under one arm, for answers.

Eames shrugged. "Don't look at me. I'm not going to carry two giant bears in my arms. Even I have my limits."

Arthur shook his head. "You have limits? Hard to believe," he said as he continued looking until he spotted two young children, who were obviously sisters, pointing at the dart game. They urged their parents to let them play. Arthur smiled and lowered his bear to young girl. "Here, I think this is more suited for you than for me."

After getting approval from her parents, the little girl took the bear with a shy smile. Eames came up with his bear and handed it over to the other little girl in a flowery dress. "Can't have you off without one too. Be a dear and take care of this little fellow too."

They left the girls who squealed with joy with their newfound teddy bears. Eames nudged Arthur's elbow. "You want to try your hand in another game?"

"No," Arthur shook his head. "I think our competitive nature could get out of control."

Eames grumbled his disappointment as they walked past the other game booths.

They found themselves at the entrance of the hall of mirrors. Arthur, not thinking much of it, started going through the entrance. A second later, he found that Eames wasn't following him. He backtracked to find Eames waiting at the entrance. "Eames?"

Eames waved Arthur along. "Go on ahead, Arthur. I'll wait for you on the other side."

"Eames?" Arthur crossed his arms and waited.

Eames looked away and found an interesting spot to focus on the ground. "I...I uh, I have an aversion to trick mirrors," he mumbled under his breath.

"Why?"

"Look, I don't like to talk about it."

Intrigued, Arthur thought, "Did you try using a contorted mirror to do a forge?" By the look on Eames' expression, Arthur figured out the mystery.

Eames groaned, "I was experimenting at the time, mind you. I didn't know what the bloody hell I was doing. Well, that dreadful day, I forged something between the mark and Picasso. Took me ages to sort myself out. For weeks, every time I enter a dream, my image was skewed." He shuddered at the memory.

Arthur processed the newfound information before doubling over with mirth. He reached blindly for the support beam to catch his balance.

Eames wasn't amused. "This isn't a laughing matter, Arthur."

Arthur took one look at Eames and another round of laughter bubbled out. "I'm sorry, Eames," Arthur wheezed when he caught his breath. "That's too damn funny." The image of Eames stuck in an unnatural form was hilarious. "I never thought you’d be afraid of contorted mirrors."

Eames gave Arthur one final annoyed look before he snorted, resigning. A smile graced his lips as he shook his head. "Arthur, you'll give your side a stitch if you don't stop laughing."

Arthur chuckled before dabbing at the corner of his eye. "Okay, we don't have to go into the hall of mirrors." He straightened and turned away from the entrance. It had been a while since Arthur laughed this hard, and it felt good. He sighed.

"Um, Arthur," Eames called hesitantly. "About that tidbit of information..."

"Don't worry," Arthur said, flashing one of his more playful smiles. "Your secret is safe with me."

Afterwards, Arthur momentarily lost Eames. It took only a moment or two before he spotted the Brit, glancing up and down at the rollercoaster ride. Arthur scowled as he watched the people screaming and cheering with glee during a sharp dip. "No," he said with determination. "Don't even think about dragging me on any rollercoaster, Eames."

Eames actually pouted. "Don't be a pillock, Arthur. It looks like fun."

Arthur stood his ground and gave Eames a pointed look. "Not happening."

Eames sighed, "A compromise then. What ride do you want to go on then? You must choose one."

There was no way to avoid this. Arthur chose the one ride he believed he could tolerate. His eyes shifted toward the towering Ferris wheel.

Eames followed Arthur's gaze. His eyes twinkled with approval at the sight. "Ah, Arthur, somehow I knew you would choose that beaut."

Since when did Arthur become predictable? Unless Eames knew him better than he thought. Whatever the reason, Arthur found himself standing in line, waiting patiently for his turn with Eames. They were idle, not really talking. Eames allowed Arthur to dwell in his thoughts.

Unfortunately, Arthur's thoughts were plagued once again by the shy kiss they shared the night before. Even the mere thought caused his lips to tingle. He wondered if he should try to steal another kiss. He wondered what Eames' reaction to the kiss would be this time. Could he induce the same pleasurable and wistful expression, or would Eames possibly express rejection and disgust? He suddenly realized he would be hurt by the rejection. This was becoming more complicated.

"Arthur, stop that." Eames flicked his finger on the side of Arthur's temple for good measure.

Out of reflex, Arthur swatted the annoying hand away. He scowled, "What the hell is the matter with you?"

Eames shook his stinging hand. "You're making my bleeding head ache just watching you think." He looked ahead at the line. "I'm not pushing you to tell me what's bothering you. I know better than anyone how fruitless it is to get you to crack. All I ask is for you to let go for a little bit." He slowly raised his hand and gently pressed a fingertip between Arthur's brows. "If you don't stop, these worry lines will be permanent. Then where would you be?"

Arthur tilted his head away from Eames' hand and grumbled, "I'll look more like Cobb. That's where I'll be."

"That's something you shouldn't joke about, Arthur," Eames said seriously. "I will be forced to shoot one of you because the world can't handle another Cobb."

Finally, it was their turn to load into the carrier. The man at the booth raised an eyebrow at both Arthur and Eames but didn’t comment. The man didn’t have to say anything. Arthur could very well know what he was thinking: two grown men going on a Ferris wheel ride, how silly.

Eames and Arthur were seated opposite from one another for weight distribution. The door closed. They were slowly wheeled up into the air. Arthur gazed out the side and marveled at the view of the city. Part way through the ride, he noticed Eames sitting with his arms crossed defensively while glaring at something on the ground.

"Eames, are you sulking?" questioned Arthur.

"No, Arthur, I'm not bloody sulking. I'm a bit muffed that you have the better seat."

Arthur blinked, wondering if Eames was serious. He turned his head to observe Eames' point of view and found it was equally nice. He even said as much out loud.

Eames shook his head stubbornly. "No, I believe the view from your angle is better. Here, I'll prove it."

Arthur's eyes widened in horror when he realized Eames was getting out of his seat. That movement alone caused the cart to rock slightly. Instantly, Arthur's arms shot out on either side of him, bracing against the cart wall. "Eames, get back in your seat."

"This will only take a moment." Eames grunted as he tried to maneuver next to Arthur.

Arthur shifted and attempted to get up in order to trade Eames' seat. The little cart rocked a bit more. Arthur tried to duck around Eames but his shoulder clipped against Eames'. He effectively was bumped back into his seat, this time with Eames next to him.

With one arm thrown over Arthur's shoulder and a blinding grin on his face, Eames said, "I told you this side of the cart has the best view."

"Bullshit," spat Arthur as he tried to get his racing heart back under control. The cart still rocked but not as badly now that the movement settled. He glared accusingly at Eames. "You did that on purpose."

The grin on Eames' face grew only wider. "Don't be ridiculous. I could move back if you would like, though I don't know how much this cart can take."

"God, you are so full of shit sometimes. I don't know how I'm able to put up with you on a daily basis."

"See, I knew you'll see it my way," continued Eames, selecting to ignore Arthur.

They lapped into silence. Eames tapped a beat with his fingertips over Arthur's shoulder. Arthur tried his best to ignore the fact that his whole left side was plastered to Eames' side. He also ignored the half embrace he found himself in. That wasn't all either. He ignored how smug Eames appeared and ignored the small part of him that enjoyed this closeness. Even the view did nothing to distract Arthur. Thankfully the ride ended. He restrained himself from bolting out of the cart, if only just.

Eames looked like the cat that ate the canary. He unfolded out of the cart and sauntered closely behind Arthur, his hand crossed behind his head. "That was grand, wouldn't you say, Arthur?"

Arthur turned his eyes skyward, asking for a miracle to get through the day. Eames was being a merciless flirt, and Arthur was unfortunately reacting to all the flirting.

Afterwards, they walked past the pony rides and then found themselves in front of the haunted house. Echoes of startled screams and laughter could be heard from outside the shabby building. Mainly young adults were lined up, and they shuffled through in pairs.

"Could be fun," piped Eames.

"Or not," countered Arthur drily.

"Aw, Arthur," Eames drew out the syllables. "I can hold your hand and protect you from the big bad if you get scared."

"You know very well that what we deal with is more terrifying than what anyone in this carnival can dish out."

"True," agreed Eames, "but that's not the reason why I want us to go in."

Arthur had suspicions but didn't voice them out loud.

Eames winked and placed both hands in Arthur's shoulder. "As much as you want them to, little beams of laser lights are not going to shoot out of your eyes," Eames said quickly as he turned Arthur around. He frog-walked Arthur toward the line.

As Arthur predicted, the haunted house was more awkward than terrifying. There were the standard eerie music playing overhead and the dim lights to lead the way. A fan blew a humid draft above them. There were the occasional cackle from a butchered clown and a shifting of shadows out of the corner of his eye. The haunted house was set up like a maze with plenty of trap doors for staff members to burst out in front of unsuspected customers.

The thing that Arthur found troublesome was controlling his reflexes. Every damn time a person jumped out from the hidden compartments, Arthur flinched. He flinched not because he was startled, but because he stopped himself from pulling back his fist and punching the poor bastard. Coming into the haunted house was a bad idea.

"Stop looking like you are about to shoot something?" Eames whispered. "Or you'll start scaring the locals. And that's saying a lot since we're in a bloody haunted house."

"I can't help it," Arthur hissed back. "It's reflex. Maybe we should..."

They turned the corner just as a couple backpedaled into Arthur, cutting him off midsentence. Try as he might, he couldn't regain his balance as his foot tangled with someone else's legs. He reached out in hopes to grab something that would pull him away from this mess, only to find his hand striking someone's back. He let out a gasp when an elbow connected to his side. The dark room tipped as he fell sideways. He expected to collide with the ground in a heap until he felt a strong arm wrap around his shoulder. A tug later, Arthur felt himself being pulled away from the others and up against Eames' chest.

Arthur's heart pounded as he realized his face was pressed against Eames' chest. Eames' arm wrapped securely around Arthur's shoulder.

"We're so sorry," came a man's voice from behind Arthur. "Something chased us back here, and we weren't looking."

"No harm done," replied Eames.

Eames' arms seemed to tighten around Arthur as the strangers exchanged another round of apologies. Then Arthur heard retreating footsteps. Eames chuckled, stirring Arthur's hair slightly before asking, "All right there, Arthur?"

Arthur shook himself out of his shocked state and looked up only to realize how close he was to Eames' face. "Um," Arthur managed to utter. When Eames chuckled again, Arthur could feel his warm breath gracing his cheek.

"Am I making you uncomfortable, Arthur?" Eames shifted, bringing them a bit closer. "It's not everyday I render you speechless, love. You know you can break free at any moment, right?"

Arthur wasn't listening. His gaze was fixed on Eames' full lips, mesmerized. All of his resolve crumpled away. He didn't know who moved first, whether he tilted his head upwards or Eames leaned in. However, it was done. Their lips met. That tingling sensation Arthur felt from time to time returned tenfold, but he ignored it in favor of kissing Eames. Eames' tongue hesitantly licked Arthur's lips, asking for permission. Arthur moaned as he parted his lips, obliging Eames.

The kiss, though brief, was gentle, undemanding and curious. They parted. Eames' forehead rested lightly against Arthur's. "Arthur..." Eames breathed against his lips.

Arthur closed his eyes letting Eames' low voice wash over him. He didn't move, not wanting to break this fragile moment. He wanted to steal another kiss, but the moment broke when he heard someone giggle. Arthur tilted his head and spotted a teenager in the corner staring at them with a shy smile. Instantly, he was brought back to reality. He kissed Eames. He kissed Eames in a public area. He kissed Eames in the middle of a haunted house and enjoyed it. Damn!

Arthur broke free from Eames' embrace and made a direct beeline towards the exit. Once outside, he gave himself a moment for his eyes to adjust to the daylight before marching onward. He didn't have any particular destination in mind, just forward until he managed to calm down or compartmentalize these hormonal feelings.

Eames didn't have any difficulties catching up to Arthur. "Arthur," Eames called. When Arthur didn't show signs of stopping, Eames lengthened his stride and took a risk by reaching for Arthur. "Hold on a tick, Arthur."

"I don't know what I was thinking," snapped Arthur as he roughly shrugged Eames' hand away. "God, I'm such an idiot."

"Arthur, it was only a kiss," Eames said evenly. "There's nothing by it..." he left the rest unsaid.

If Arthur were anyone else, he would have missed the hurt expression Eames kept carefully hidden. "I don't regret kissing you, Eames," he stressed before Eames mistook what he said.

"You don't?" Eames sounded shocked. "Then why did you..." Eames made some sort of gesture with his hands as he searched for the appropriate words, "…run off like a virgin maiden?"

Arthur gave Eames his best threatening look. "If you call me a virgin maiden again, I will hurt you." He meant it too. He could take any other name Eames dubbed him, but a virgin maiden was taking it too far.

Eames held his hands up in a pacifying way. "I can't have that now. However, I do need to understand your erratic behavior for my benefit. You owe me that much at least."

The embarrassment and the mini burst of adrenaline drained, leaving Arthur empty. He groaned, "I don't know how to explain...this. We kissed in public." That wasn't all, but that was all Eames needed to know. Eames didn't need to know that he'd started wanting him and that he was contemplating whether they should be fuck buddies. No, Eames didn't need to know that bit.

Eames expressed his disbelief by having his mouth hang slightly open. "Is that all?" Eames scoffed. "I hate to break it to you, darling, but kissing in public isn't an abomination."

Arthur looked away. "It's complicated," he mumbled. He wished Eames could understand, but then again he didn't. Then he remembered it wouldn't matter and felt another wave of frustration.

Eames gave Arthur an indescribable look. "Have I misread you somehow, Arthur? I was so certain that you wanted this...” He let his arms drop to his side.

"No," Arthur sighed. "I mean...I don't know." He was suddenly aware that they were standing in the middle of the carnival with at least a five feet distance between them. They were attracting curious looks as people walked around them.

Eames was always good at reading Arthur. Reacting to Arthur's building agitation, Eames bridged the distance between them. He took Arthur by the elbow and steered him towards a less populated area. "I often wondered if I ever populated your mind."

Arthur gave Eames a sidelong look. "Sometimes."

Eames looked like he won a small battle. "Oh, really?"

"Don't get full of yourself, Eames," Arthur snorted. "If you're on my mind, it's usually along the lines of 'what the hell did Eames do?’ and ‘why am the one cleaning up his many messes?' or, ‘what I..."

Arthur was interrupted when Eames quickly leaned in and pecked a kiss on the side of Arthur's mouth. Arthur stilled, his eyes wide in surprise. This was the first time Eames initiated a kiss. Subconsciously, he reached up to touch the side of his lips. Another tingle coursed down his fingertips and along his arm.

"Interesting," Eames said, his tone mixed with fascination and amusement. "I think I just discovered a way to shut you up."

The moment broke. Arthur's brows furrowed, and the corner of his lips turned downward into a frown. "Eames..."

This time Eames went in and gave Arthur a more thorough kiss. Distracted, Arthur allowed Eames to take control of the kiss, but he managed to gather enough of his wits to push Eames away. "Damn it, Eames," he said breathlessly. He glared at Eames with annoyance. Arthur started to step away, but Eames still had a hold of his arm. He looked accusingly down at Eames' hand. "Eames, let go."

Eames shook his head slowly. He suddenly had a calculated look directed at Arthur. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

The hold was firm, but he hadn't a doubt in his mind he could break free. Arthur did not want to cause a scene. He thought knocking Eames on his back would be a little too much over the top. Instead, he came to a decision to go with threats first before getting physical. "Eames, let go before I dislocate your shoulder."

"I don't doubt that you would, Arthur," Eames said seriously, staying firm "You see, I can't let go because I know you would run away from this. If that kiss meant anything, it meant you enjoyed it. Bloody hell, you kissed me. Which in turn means...hell I don't know what that means. For all I know, you're playing with me, you ungrateful prick." He sighed. "How about we stop dancing around each other on this matter."

"What do you propose, Mr. Eames?" Arthur asked carefully as he tried to quell the butterflies in his stomach.

Eames' plump lips quirked into a smile. "I propose, Mr. Arthur, that we should explore this attraction on another plane. There's no harm in having a little fun. Who knows, one thing can lead to another." Eames shrugged. "Anything can happen."

Arthur studied Eames. Despite Eames making light of the matter, he had a settled tension in his shoulder as he waited for Arthur's response. Eames implied starting a relationship, whether that was something serious or something with no strings attached. It would still be more than what they were now. Arthur had a feeling if he turned Eames down, something would be lost between them – something that could be...

Arthur shook that thought aside. As much as he doubted trusting his chaotic feelings at this time, he knew this much: He wanted Eames. The rest he'd hopefully sort out later. Eames was right about one thing though. There was no harm in fooling around. This might be the one thing that might keep Arthur sane while dealing with this time loop mess.

"Okay," Arthur finally responded.

Eames let out a breath. "Okay," he echoed back. Then he laughed, "You don't understand how bloody long I've been waiting for you to turn the corner about this mutual attraction we have. I don't know whether to thank you or kiss you."

So Eames was interested all those times he flirted with Arthur. Arthur stored that fact in the back of his mind while regarding Eames. He'd never seen Eames display this much happiness before. It suited him. "Neither, at the moment. It'll feel awkward." He spared a glance around the park. "What do you think about leaving this place?"

"Seems like a grand idea, love."

Eames finally let go of Arthur but stayed close enough so that their shoulders brushed as they walked. This was something Arthur would have to get used to, but having Eames in close proximity wasn't unpleasant. They caught a cab and left Luna Park.

"Where to, Arthur?" Eames asked when the driver asked for their destination.

Arthur knew that he didn't want to go back to his hotel. "How about your place?" he suggested boldly.

Eames grinned and gave the driver the location. Arthur settled back and noticed that Eames threw his arm around his shoulder. This time, Arthur didn't stiffen like he did on the Ferris wheel, but instead found himself relaxing. If Eames noticed, he didn't comment, but the smug look returned.

Through the whole ride, Arthur wrestled with his conscience. He was having doubts that getting involved with Eames might not be a good idea. Eames wouldn’t be able to remember what happened between them. Could he live with himself for taking advantage of Eames like that? However, Eames appeared more than willing and thrilled. Could he deny the man on something they both want?

Eames nuzzled his nose against Arthur's cheek. He hummed, "Arthur, you're thinking again."

"Somebody has too," Arthur grumbled. He was not going to be distracted this time, damn it. He involuntarily shivered when he felt Eames' stubbles scratch his cheek.

"Hmm, I think that's one of the things I admire about you. Yet, I very well enjoy trying to distract you or turn your thoughts to something more important – me." Eames gave Arthur one last nuzzle before leaning away. "It's just a tumble. I'm sure you've shagged before."

"Of course," Arthur said, giving Eames a you-are-an-idiot look.

"Then there shouldn't be anything to worry about," Eames said easily. "Nothing will change if you don't want it to, Arthur."

In Eames' own way, he'd tried to convey to Arthur that he would be satisfied with what Arthur allowed. He was letting Arthur have control. That alone meant more to Arthur than anything Eames could say or do at the moment. Having a friend with benefits was simple enough. At the moment, he needed simple. He needed something to distract him, something to make him stop thinking – if only temporary.

Eames didn't disappoint Arthur. When they stepped into Eames' hotel room, Arthur had only a moment to appreciate the room before Eames tugged him into a rough kiss. Both of Eames' hand bracketed the side of Arthur's face. Teeth clashed and lips were nibbled. Arthur didn't realize he moved until he felt his lower back hit the edge of the couch. He reached up and grabbed onto Eames' shoulders when he felt his back bending backwards slightly.

The kiss soon turned sensual with less teeth and more tongue as they explored. Arthur let his hands slide from Eames' shoulders to the bend of his elbows, feeling the toned muscle beneath his shirt. Arthur broke the kiss. Feeling a bit lightheaded he closed his eyes. Eames moved to trail open kisses along the column of Arthur's neck.

Arthur inhaled, taking in Eames’ scent of cologne and a hint of aftershave. Suddenly he felt the man in his arms shaking. Brows furrowing, Arthur questioned, "Eames?" He felt Eames' shoulder shaking as the man tried to muffle a sound in Arthur's shoulder. "Are you laughing?" Arthur tried to lean back so he can see Eames, but being trapped between the couch and Eames made it a more difficult task.

"Yes, I'm laughing," admitted Eames breathlessly. Mirth laced his tone. "It's funny you know."

"What's funny?” Arthur finally asked when Eames didn't explain further. He was too caught in the moment to be annoyed.

Eames leaned back so that they could see one another. He settled his hand on Arthur's hips, making sure there was contact. "I wanted to knock your block off at the start of the day for A) thinking something's happened to your skinny arse and then B) for having to find you. Then I saw how miserable you were and decided to drag you off to an amusement park, hoping that would make you feel better. I never would have thought I would end up back at my hotel, half aroused with you in my arms. After all this time, I was beginning to think you're as straight as an arrow."

"Yeah," snorted Arthur. "I didn't factor that into my day either." He picked at Eames’ shirt and shifted his hip, smiling wickedly when he heard Eames hissing. "Just because I'm not as flamboyant as you are does not mean you should make any assumptions."

Eames growled in the back of his throat while he worked Arthur's belt "That's a mistake I'll never make again," he vowed.

While Eames messed with loosening his pants, Arthur shucked off his jacket and lost his tie. With years of practice, he made quick work of all the buttons. By the time he finished, Eames managed to figure out his belt buckle.

"Complicated thing. Worse than a chastity belt," Eames grumbled before getting his shoulder into Arthur's midsection. He half tackled and half carried Arthur to the bed. Arthur didn't have time to protest before they both tumbled onto Eames' bed. Being manhandled sent a thrill down Arthur's spine, but he didn't want Eames making that a habit. He halfheartedly mustered a glare for good measure. Eames smirked in response and pecked a light kiss on the tip of Arthur's nose.

They quickly got rid of the rest of their clothes. Eames reached and fumbled with the drawer in the nightstand until he came away with lube and condoms. He tossed both items to Arthur. "I feel like being buggered. Will you do me the pleasure?"

Arthur shook his head at the bad pun as he rolled the condom on and grabbed the lube. He glanced over at Eames and inhaled sharply. Eames was fit, more fit than Arthur would have guessed. He reached out to splay his hand over Eames' firm abs. He trailed his hand down. His fingertips circled around Eames' naval and the light dust of hair. Eames bucked his hips when Arthur finally wrapped his fingers around his arousal. He stroked Eames once, then twice, each time running his thumb over the tip.

"Arthur," Eames grinned between clenched teeth. His chest heaved as he panted. "Stop being a bloody tease."

Arthur released Eames and moved to drape himself over Eames. Their cocks brushed, causing both of them to gasp. They kissed – wet and sloppy. "I'm reciprocating from all the teasing you've put me through all day," Arthur murmured against Eames' lips.

"Nothing more than the usual, love," Eames huffed. He reached a hand between them and gave Arthur an experimental tug. With the other arm, he wrapped it around Arthur's back to prevent him from squirming. "I suggest you get on with the good bits before I lose it and turn the tables."

Arthur bit along Eames' jaw line. "I thought you wanted to be fucked."

"I want to be thoroughly buggered." Eames bucked his hips, rubbing himself against Arthur and trying to urge him on. "If the position were reversed, we would be on round two by now, and you wouldn't be seeing straight..."

Unbelievable, even in bed they challenged each other. Arthur hid his smirk in the crook of Eames' neck as he inserted two slick fingers into him. Eames hissed, stopping whatever he was about to say next. "You were saying," Arthur whispered as nipped at Eames' earlobe.

"I was...nhuh," Eames moaned as Arthur strategically crooked his fingers and hitting the prostate.

Absently, Arthur flicked one of Eames' nipples, enjoying the dedicate sounds emitted by Eames. He watched the man squirm as he drummed his fingertips against Eames' prostate. Eames started grinding back against Arthur's hand when he added another finger. "I think I like you this way, Eames."

"Arthur," Eames practically mewed. "Please." He shook, trying to get himself controlled.

Finally, Arthur took pity and stopped his torment. Besides, he wanted to be in Eames when he came. He repositioned and guided himself to Eames' waiting entrance. With one smooth stroke, Arthur was buried balls deep into Eames. Arthur breathed out of his nose, his jaw clenched in concentration as he felt Eames adjust around him. This wasn't Arthur's first, but it had been a while. He didn't want to be embarrassed by coming too soon.

Eames wasn't fairing any better than Arthur. He cursed loudly, "Bloody fucking hell, and for the love of the queen of England – move, Arthur."

Biting the bottom of his lips, Arthur obliged. He set a pace they were both happy with. Eames locked his legs around Arthur's waist, bringing them impossibly closer. Eames' hands were all over Arthur, running down his arms, up his back, and down his chest.

"Touch yourself," Arthur growled.

Eames moaned and reached between them and began jerking himself in time with Arthur. At this pace they were both close. He watched Eames' jaw going slack with pleasure. Eames’ eyes fluttered in ecstasy as he emptied his load onto Arthur's stomach. That was enough to push Arthur over the edge. For one brief moment, Arthur was lost in his own pleasure. He slumped forward, resting his entire weight on Eames as they both basked in euphoria.

After a moment, the stickiness between them got uncomfortable. Arthur mustered enough strength to crawl off of Eames, despite the other's mumbled protest. He removed the condom and tossed it before stumbling into the bathroom. He returned with a wet washcloth and quickly wiped them both down.

Eames mumbled his thanks before reaching for Arthur, pulling him down. Arthur didn't realize Eames was such a cuddler until he felt strong arms wrapping around him, bringing his back flushed against Eames' chest and his nose buried in the back of Arthur's neck. Arthur sighed. It wasn't unpleasant; however, it was something he'd have to adjust. Most of his past lovers weren't cuddlers after sex, and frankly neither was Arthur.

"Ready for round two?" inquired Arthur impishly as he remembered their mini dispute earlier.

"Give a bloke a moment to recover." Eames brushed his lips on the base of Arthur's nape. He sounded like he was on the verge of sleep.

Arthur smiled softly as he rested his hand on top of Eames'. In that moment, a lot of things suddenly became clearer. Somewhere along the line, he'd conceded the possibility that he may never get out of this time loop. That weighed on his mind lately. As depressing as that sounded, it was a fact that Arthur was forced to consider. Surprisingly, as he lay next to Eames, that thought didn't seem as daunting. Things might be all right if he could attempt to live a normal life. His mind clung to that single thought as he relaxed back against Eames.

~*~*~

 **(58th) Tuesday 10:10 AM**

Things were not all right, Arthur thought feverishly. He sat on one of the benches in Villa Ada, a calm garden park. He had a view of one of the ponds where several people tossed treats for the ducks. A track weaved through the Villa in which Arthur watched the cyclist, skaters, and runners trail on the winding road. The air was fragmented from the blooming flowers. This was definitely a contradiction to Arthur's foul mood.

He miscalculated everything. He managed to organize his day between solving the time loop and messing with Eames. Lately he'd spend less time researching and more time with Eames. He gleaned a few more personal information like Eames was deathly afraid of weasels on their trip to the zoo, or that Eames had riding lessons before when they went horseback riding. He found that Eames was really good with kids and had a soft spot for cats. Then there was bowling. Yes, Arthur took them bowling where he discovered how they were both terrible. The sex was always mind-blowing, and...he wasn't counting on falling in love with the man.

Lately he'd been annoyed by the little things Eames had done. It wasn't Eames' fault that he couldn't remember information that Arthur revealed. That was the curse of the time loop, leaving Arthur to remember and Eames to rediscover things about Arthur over and over again like it was a revolution. Arthur calculated he literally went through 25 first dates with Eames. He was getting tired of telling Eames that he was interested every time.

He longed to actually wake up next to Eames instead of waking by his alarm, alone when time ran out. Arthur didn't realize how painful it was carrying these memories alone. He wasn't sure if this was love or not, but he knew one thing. He wanted more than what he had now with Eames. He wanted to move on. Arthur wanted Eames to remember their time together, which led him to make this final decision. Against his better judgment, Arthur was going to tell Eames everything.

Arthur checked the time. Eames should be arriving soon. Arthur took advantage of the knowledge that Eames would break into his room. He strategically left his phone behind with a note for Eames to find. On the note he left the location where Eames could find him and the time to meet him. That way he avoided worrying Eames. This was a dance he'd conducted for nearly a month.

Eames arrived on time. His hands were in his pocket and his shoulders slouched. He had a curious look, one that Arthur was quite familiar with. He knew exactly what Eames was going to say before he even said anything. He practically had the script down. 'Good day, Arthur. Since when did we start leaving each other love notes and tokens?'

"Good day, Arthur," Eames said once he was in earshot. He flicked Arthur's note, perfectly folded between two fingers. "Since when did we start leaving each other love notes..." he palmed Arthur's cell and passed it along to Arthur, "...and tokens?"

"I wanted you to break your agreement with Ariadne to see the fountains and join me for brunch." Arthur found being direct was the best way to get Eames to come around. He waited for Eames to get over his shock.

"Wait...how did you...are you...did you...” Eames stopped so he could collect his thoughts. He scrubbed the back of his neck and stared at Arthur. Arthur waited for the punch line. "Am I getting this right? Are you asking me on a date?"

Arthur smirked. It seemed that he would never get tired of seeing Eames flustered. "It appears I am." He glanced over at the basket by his side. "I packed a basket. And before you can ask – no, I didn't poison the food, and no, I'm not bloody playing you." For that last part, Arthur did his best to imitate Eames' English accent. Eames opened his mouth to comment, but Arthur interjected, "No, I'm not off my rocker either. And don't comment on my ability to mimic the English accent." After nearly a month of this conversation, he'd memorized all of Eames' remarks, and it proved to be an efficient showstopper.

Eames promptly closed his mouth and frowned. In another moment he commented, "You know, it is actually frightening how you read my mind like that."

Arthur deadpanned, "You have no idea."

The awkwardness passed. Eames sat down next to Arthur looking at him with wonder. "Now, don't get snippy for a moment and answer this question for me. What changed your mind? I've been coming onto you for ages now. You've never shown any interested."

Yes, Arthur had this conversation with Eames too and had plenty of time to discover which response worked best. "I've had a lot of time to think." He knew that answer wouldn't satisfy Eames, so he added, "I thought it was time to see if you're serious or not."

Eames quickly snatched Arthur's free hand and smiled. "Of course I am."

Arthur genuinely smiled back and gave Eames' hand a squeeze. "I know."

Eames gazed into Arthur, happiness and excitement reflecting in his eyes. "This is fantastic."

Arthur nodded, feeling his heart swell. He supposed he hadn't gotten use to seeing Eames so pleased about officially starting a relationship. He wondered how long Eames waited for this moment.

"Don't get this the wrong way, Arthur. I'm truly ecstatic about us." Eames' smile faltered. "Care to tell me what's really bothering you?"

Arthur didn't anticipate that remark and frowned. This never happened in their conversation before, and it momentarily took him by surprise. "What makes you think something is bothering me?"

"You fidgeted," Eames remarked as he pointed at Arthur's left leg. "You twitch your left leg ever so slightly when you're anticipating for something to go wrong. It's still there. There's something else you're nervous about. And before you ask, you're not the only one good at reading people."

Arthur looked annoyed. "Touché."

"Now," Eames looked triumphant. "If you can, I would like to know what's troubling you. Who knows, maybe I can even help."

"You wouldn't believe me," Arthur stated the fact.

"Try me," Eames challenged.

Eames offered his help on day 33, or was it 34? Arthur couldn't remember, but he kept the details to himself. Now, it was time to see if Eames could help. Doubt crept up in the back of his mind as he told Eames everything that happened – that was still happening. Eames sat silently as he listened. He stayed silent, even when Arthur finished.

Arthur fidgeted again and damned Eames for pointing out his quirk. Even he thought he sounded ridiculous while explaining the time loop. He kept his gaze steady on Eames', trying to judge the man's reaction. Eames rubbed his totem between his fingers. Arthur automatically reached for his totem for comfort as he waited for judgment to pass.

"You were right," Eames finally said. "That does sound a little farfetched." Eames leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He let out a breath, not looking at Arthur, but favoring the sight of the pond. "You have no idea how much you sound like a nutter at this moment. Have you been testing out one of Yusuf's chemicals without me knowing about it?"

"Believe me. That was one of the first things I've checked," stated Arthur. He held his breath now.

"You really believe this is happening do you?" asked Eames. He still wouldn't look at Arthur.

There was the doubt Arthur was waiting for. He came prepared to convince Eames with the evidence. "Listen, if this wasn't happening then how did I know that you had a previous engagement with Ariadne? I went through this damn day fifty-eight times already. Think about it. How did I readily know what you were going to say before you said anything, like I was reading your mind? You asked me what made me change my mind about you so suddenly. Well, it didn't happen overnight. I went out with you twenty-five times already."

Arthur was rewarded a quick glance before Eames turned away again. "Twenty-five times, huh?" Eames was not convinced. "Arthur, you could have bugged our phones. That's how you would know of my little outing with Ariadne. As for you reading my mind, we've known each other for years, Arthur. Like how I can decipher that you were nervous with a twitch of your leg, it wouldn't be hard for you to figure what's on my mind. It's our job to be observant. If you were to read my mind now, it would be a different story."

"Eames, I'm not a fucking psychic." Arthur knew this wouldn't be easy, but he had a hard time curving his frustration. "I don't know what you're thinking or what you’re going to do because this hasn't happened before. I've never tried telling anyone about this until now." He realized he'd jump off the bench and stood over Eames. "You damn well know I wouldn't bug your phone, Eames."

"Why?" Eames suddenly asked, his eyes now intensely fixed on Arthur. "Why haven't you told anyone about this? Shouldn't you be utilizing all your resources?"

"Why the hell do you think, Eames?" Arthur hissed. "It's because I have to convince you every time, like what I'm doing right now. And that gets me no where."

Eames pursed his lips, his gaze still intensely fixed on Arthur. Arthur could practically see Eames considering what to do next. Finally, he rose off his bench and approached Arthur. "All right, maybe we should pay a visit to Yusuf and see if this is some sort of reaction to the chemicals."

"I've already gone down that route. I'm certain that this is not a reaction to Somnacin," Arthur said calmly.

"Well, I still think it’s worth asking the man. Maybe he has a solution to this that you haven't thought of yet," Eames encouraged Arthur.

Arthur eyed Eames carefully. "You don't believe me, do you." It wasn't a question but a statement of fact.

Eames shrugged, "I don't think that's relevant in the matter. We need more than one mind on this one, Arthur. Even you admit this is in over your head. What's wrong in getting a little more help?"

Arthur knew the answer to that. It would be a waste of time, time that was limited in his perspective. Suddenly it was important to convince Eames fully. He had one more thing he could try, albeit he was reluctant. "Come into my dreams with me," Arthur said quietly.

"What?" Eames looked up at Arthur, barely concealing his surprise, his eyes wide with wonder. "Are you inviting me to muck around in your mind?" He asked in way of clarification.

Arthur could understand Eames' surprise. In all the years he'd worked in the dream sharing business, he'd never once been the subject but always the dreamer. The reason being was that his mind was too militarized. Over the years. he'd perfected his security to make it impossible to extract any information. Being a point man, he had sensitive information worth literally millions. Eames knew the implication to Arthur’s offer.

"Yes," Arthur replied without hesitation. If this was what it took to get Eames to believe him, it was worth letting Eames into his dreams. "I'm trusting you," he said out loud.

Eames also knew the weight of those words and agreed, "All right."

~*~*~

Arthur set the PASIV's time for 30 minutes. That would give them plenty of time. Eames settled in the chair adjacent to Arthur. He was abnormally quiet while Arthur finished setting up.

"Ready?" Arthur glanced over at Eames. At the other's nod, he reached over for the button.

"Rumor has it that your mind could put invaders into a coma," Eames suddenly blurted as Arthur pressed the button.

They both went under and appeared in an empty hotel lobby that Arthur chose to be their dreamscape. It had occurred to him that Eames might be nervous as well as curious about entering Arthur's mind. Arthur looked back at Eames and shrugged, giving him a mysterious smile. "Stay close and don't do anything sudden or stupid, and you should be fine."

"So you admit the rumors are true," pressed Eames in awe. He followed Arthur across the lobby toward the elevators. Something about this place looked familiar. "Isn't this the same hotel Ariadne built for the inception run?”

Arthur nodded. "The very same."

"Interesting that you chose this dreamscape, Arthur." Eames glanced around, appreciating the details again. "I wonder what that means about your psyche."

"Don't read too in depth in this,” said Arthur. "Hotels in general are the easiest way to organize things." Not to mention that he had laid out plenty of paradoxes.

"Well, I always thought that your mind would be like a vault or a library."

"I've done those too," responded Arthur as he reached for the button to activate the elevator. "Changing it up is a good thing."

As they waited, Eames noticed something else. "Arthur, where are your projections?"

"They're here." Arthur nodded. "I don't think it's a good idea to point them out to you."

Eames shook his head. "Arthur, you have no idea how intimidating you are at this moment."

The elevator doors slid open, and they both filed in. There weren't any buttons, but without prompt, the elevator began to move.

"Interesting form of security," commented Eames. He understood that he wouldn't be able to leave the lobby without Arthur here.

Arthur smirked, "I thought so at the time."

The doors slid open, and they stepped out. The hall was equally deserted with the feeling of displacement all around. Even Arthur felt the eeriness of his surroundings.

Eames took note, "The thirteenth floor? You're not the superstitious type, are you?"

Arthur snorted, "My subconscious associates these memories as unnatural. It makes sense that they're stored on the thirteenth floor."

"Bloody hell, even your subconscious is logical," grumbled Eames. He shook his head and reached for the nearest door labeled 1301. He glanced over his shoulder at Arthur, asking for permission. With Arthur's nod, Eames opened the door.

The door swung aside, allowing them to see the scene of the Trevi Fountain. They stood amongst the trees, staring at the projection of themselves as well as Ariadne. The projection of Eames joking about the Trevi’s ability to grant wishes was displayed as well as the projection of Ariadne encouraging them to toss the coins.

Arthur inhaled the night air as he watched. He'd forgotten how beautiful that night was because his mind was focused on the job at that time. The atmosphere was perfect. He watched himself toss a coin over his shoulder.

"Is this what would happen if I took you with us?" Eames asked quietly somewhere over the proximity of his shoulder.

Arthur nodded and said in a monotone voice, "We went back to the apartment and met up with Yusuf. The job went well. It was afterwards that everything went to hell." As if by Arthur's will, the serenity of the Trevi Fountain shifted to when the gang finished the job. Arthur was taking care of the last detail before meeting Eames and Ariadne outside the apartment.

Like watching a movie that hadn't been seen for a long time, Arthur viewed the thief coming out of the alleyway, grabbing Ariadne's purse, and taking off. He relived the moment of being gunned down in the middle of the street. His hand reached up to grasp his chest as he remembered the shocking, burning pain. Then the cold settled along with the tingling numbness.

Arthur watched himself wake up disoriented to the sound of his alarm. "I didn't think much of it," he said mainly to himself. "I think my biggest shock was the fact that I could still dream. I figured something was wrong when I started feeling like it was déjà vu."

As Arthur narrated what he felt at the beginning, the dream adjusted until they were staring back at the Trevi Fountain again. His tone was distanced as he said, "I finally realized a little too late that I went through the day again right before the thief jumped us. I was aware enough to at least push your sorry ass out of the line of fire and took the bullet, dying a second time. I awoke again in the hotel, this time very aware of what's happened. I tried to stop it, but I think I got shot for a third time..."

Eames came up from behind Arthur and wrapped an arm around his waist in a tight embrace, interrupting Arthur. A warm hand came up to gently cover his eyes, preventing him from watching anymore. He didn't realize he was trembling until he felt himself shake against Eames.

"Enough, enough," Eames murmured in Arthur's ear like a chant. He walked Arthur backwards until they were through the door and back into hotel's hallways.

"I-I..." Arthur's voice cracked slightly as he kept his tone low. He didn’t know how much that affected him until now. "I caught the thief before it could happen again. I thought that would be enough to resume time, but that didn't matter. I was trapped."

"Shh," Eames hushed. He steadily held Arthur and rested his chin on Arthur's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, love."

Arthur allowed himself to lean back into Eames, trying to relax his tensed muscles. After a moment, he nodded. "I'm okay."

"Okay," Eames whispered back, giving Arthur a gentle squeeze before releasing him. "All right, what did you do next?"

Arthur opened room 1325's door. "I went into extensive research, then went into – I guess – depression."

This room showed Arthur in his hotel room with his laptop and paper scattered all over the desk. "I found there wasn't anything stating this sort of reaction to the chemicals."

Room 1326 showed Arthur at one of the grand Roman libraries with books surrounding him. "I was grasping for straws here."

Room 1327 showed Arthur consulting with Yusuf. "I had the man take a sample of my blood, and Yusuf said everything was clear."

Room 1328 showed Arthur taking off in a jet plane. "I left to seek out a second opinion from another chemist. The results were the same."

Arthur looked down at the next few doors. "I hit every avenue I could think of and came away with not a single clue for breaking this time loop or finding out what started this mess." He gestured at the next few rooms. "I prefer you not look into those rooms, Eames." Arthur knew those weren’t the proudest moments of his life. He didn't want Eames to see how rough it was for him.

Eames looked understanding and complied with Arthur's wish without question. He walked further down the hall and came to stop in front of room 1342. Before Arthur could stop him, Eames entered the room.

"Eames, wait." Arthur barged through the door and bumped into Eames. The room showed the location of a bathroom stall. The walls reverberated the sounds of clothes rustling, heavy breathing, and stifling moans. The projection of Arthur was against the stall door. Both hands were pressed against the back of Eames’ head as he deep-throated him.

"Bloody hell," Eames croaked. "I'm giving you head in the bloody loo. How'd that happen, Arthur?"

"Well," Arthur began slowly. He was disturbed by watching the glassy gazed look he had while Eames sucked him off but was aroused from watching Eames down on his knees working magic with his lips, teeth, and tongue. He cleared his throat. "We were at a museum."

"A museum," Eames repeated. "You said before that we went out twenty-five times. That's fine and all, but you never once mentioned that we got intimate."

At the prompt, the scene where Eames was giving Arthur a blow job disappeared and was replaced with Arthur bent over the kitchen table with his shirt partially hiked up and his pants pooled down around his legs. Eames’ fingers dug into Arthur's hips, enough to give him bruises, as he speared into him hard and fast. Arthur pushed back, meeting Eames' every thrust. They were both grunting and making noises that shouldn't be heard by any third party.

"Oh god," breathed Arthur with dismay. He might as well just taped all their sexual encounters if his subconscious had anything to do with it. He felt strangely like a voyeur, even though he was watching himself and Eames having rougher sex. And, he thought shamefully, he was becoming more aroused by it.

"Was this done on the same day?" squeaked Eames. He was having a hard time taking his eyes off the erotic scene. At Arthur's confirmation, Eames swore, "Bloody fantastic, and I don't remember a damn thing about any of it. Arthur, promise me we'll reenact everything."

Enough was enough, and Arthur tugged Eames out of the room. Eames took charge and backed Arthur against the wall. He glanced down to see the bulge in Arthur's pants. "I think this is unfair that you get to remember the naughty bits, Arthur," he said as he reached into Arthur's pants and took his cock in his hand.

"Don't think it was a walk in the park for me either," Arthur moaned. He started reaching for Eames but found his hands redirected onto Eames' shoulders.

"These hands stay there, yeah," said Eames, firmly looking into Arthur's eyes.

Arthur licked his lips and nodded. He discovered that he enjoyed Eames taking control. It always sent a thrill down his spine. His hands tightened their grasp on Eames' shoulder as the forger resumed stroking him firmly. He grunted and leaned forward, crashing their lips together. When he felt Eames shifting, he broke their kiss and glanced down in time to watch Eames aligning their cocks and stroking them together with one hand.

"Fuck," Arthur breathed as he tilted his head back. The feel of Eames' cock and the smell of musk were intoxicating. He shifted his hips forward, adding to the friction. He smirked when he heard Eames inhaling sharply.

"It would be my pleasure, darling," Eames said as he nuzzled the side of Arthur’s face. "Do we even have time?"

"Enough," Arthur growled. To be honest, he didn't know. He couldn't focus enough to calculate how much time was left on the clock.

"Hmm," hummed Eames. "Excellent." He kissed a trail along Arthur's neck and bit down at the base, getting his skin to rise.

Arthur gasped over the sensation and for a moment saw nothing but white. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back as Eames sped up. His chest rose and fell as he panted. He felt Eames trail his hand down to fondle his balls, then back, seeking his ultimate goal.

Arthur rolled his hips, trying to rush Eames along, but the fingers withdrew. Music began to play around them. Arthur let a growl of annoyance as the dreamscape dissolved around him.

Arthur opened his eyes fluently, feeling frustrated when he found they were back in his room. He shifted and noticed an uncomfortable wet spot on his pants and silently swore. Damn, these were my best pants.

Next to Arthur, Eames was in a similar state. He glanced down and laughed, "Bloody hell, I haven't had a wet dream like that since puberty."

~*~*~

"What do we do now?" Eames questioned as Arthur walked out of the bathroom in his casual clothes and a towel over his head.

Arthur settled in the seat next to Eames. "I don't know. I haven't thought that far out yet."

"No?" Eames said mockingly. "Arthur, the greatest point man here saying, ‘unable to plan ahead.’ I may swoon."

Arthur gave Eames the “look” and continued scrubbing his hair dry. "I thought that maybe I have to go through at least a couple of time loops before I was able to convince you the truth. By then I would have thought up the next step." He finished drying his hair and tossed the towel. His hair stuck every which way. He smirked at the leer Eames gave him, half predatorily and half with need. "Maybe I need a new perspective of things."

"All right," said Eames as he leaned back in his chair in thought. "You've already done the most logical thing possible, and nothing's come up."

Arthur nodded, keeping quiet as Eames worked through his thoughts. He was interested in where this may lead.

Eames rubbed his chin. "The only thing now is to think up an illogical explanation."

"I need to think outside the box?" Arthur rephrased.

"Precisely. We have to get you to think outside the box." Eames tapped his finger on the table to reiterate his point. "It's an exercise I know is hard for you, Arthur."

Eames didn't mean it as an insult, and Arthur didn't take it as such. Eames was only stating the fact. All the teasing and grief about him not having any imagination was true at a certain level. He was too concrete. "I don't know where to begin," he admitted.

"Don't worry, love," Eames reassured. "That's what I'm here for. There's a lot of information to sift through and so forth. What we need is the details of the original day. Arthur, I need you to remember the first day, anything you've gone through or anyone you spoke to that you thought was odd."

Arthur thought about it and shook his head. "There's nothing out of the ordinary. Eames, you saw most of the day in the dream. You know how it went."

"Bear with me and go through the day again. Leave nothing out."

Arthur complied. Eames listened intensely, interrupting only to ask a few questions or to ask Arthur to expand on some details. When Arthur finished, he frowned. "Damn it! The only thing that really is out of the norm was some random thief coming out of the blues."

"Thinking out of the box here," Eames reminded Arthur. "I think magic is afoot here, and I think it starts at the Trevi Fountain."

"Magic?" Arthur was stunned. "Eames, that's not thinking out of the box. That's..."

"Illogical, right?" Eames grinned, obviously feeling proud. "With all the myths and legends surrounding the Trevi, something might be at work. What did you wish for?"

"Ironically enough, I wished for the job to end quickly." Arthur shook his head. "This is crazy, Eames."

"And you're stuck in a crazy situation," retorted Eames. "I've given you a new perspective, Arthur. You might as well run with it since there's no harm."

Arthur sighed. Eames was right. This was what he needed. He glanced at the time. He had roughly 10 hours left. "Fine. I'll start looking up the Trevi."

"That's grand and all," Eames said as he reached for Arthur and tugged him out of his seat with him. "Let's get something to eat first."

"Eames," Arthur said by way of warning. "We don't have time."

"You actually have plenty of time," started Eames but stopped when Arthur gave him an intense look. "You're right. That was said in bad taste. I'm sorry. I just feel terrible for ruining your basket lunch earlier and thought to make it up to you."

"That can't be all."

Eames looked chagrin. "I know you went out with me twenty-five times, but I want that first date with you."

The annoyance drained quickly after hearing Eames' confession. He agreed, "I want Chinese."

Eames blinked at the demand, then smiled at the challenge. "Figures…you didn't want anything to do with Italian. Lucky for you, I know a place."

 _Of course he does_ , Arthur thought.

~*~*~

 **(60th) Wednesday 4:02 AM**

As much as he tried to prevent it, Arthur felt disappointed. Three time loops passed, and he thought he would make some ground by now. Eames' idea was original enough but beyond the simple fact that the Trevi might grant your wish to find your one true love. It never stated anything about trapping one in a time loop or how to get out of it.

Eames had been an enormous help. Using the PASIV, Arthur found it easy to catch Eames up to speed as well as reorient him of his situation. This made it easy for them to pick up where they left off. Arthur was pleased with that at least.

Arthur felt they were close. He felt he was missing something, something that could break this problem wide open. If only he knew what this vital information was.

"Arthur," Eames murmured into Arthur's hair. One broad hand stroked down along Arthur's bare back soothingly.

Arthur shifted slightly so that he could plant a kiss on Eames' collarbone before looking into those gray-blue eyes he loved so much. That tingle again coursed through his body at the thought.

"Did I wake you?" whispered Arthur as he tried to shift off of Eames only to find him locked in place when Eames snaked an arm around him.

Eames hummed as he kissed Arthur's temple. "I sensed that I should participate if you're going to sulk while using me as a human pillow. Maybe I can distract you...again."

"You've distracted me for the majority of the day already," Arthur stated as he lifted his head up enough to share a lingual kiss with Eames. His eyes were half hooded as he recalled the gentle love making earlier this evening. Eames was being more attentive to Arthur than usual. "Aren't you tired?"

"Of loving you? Never." Eames shifted them so they were both lying on their sides facing each other. His hand moved to pet Arthur's side. "I'm here for whatever form you want or need me to be. Anything to get you through this, love."

Again those tingles intensified as Arthur blinked his eyes several time to clear his mind. How could he ever take Eames for granted before? They could have been together if Arthur allowed it years ago. Overwhelmed by this revelation and his inability to express this verbally, Arthur surged forward, pouring everything he'd felt into the kiss.

Eames returned the favor, soothing Arthur with his tongue. His hand came to rest on Arthur's hip. Arthur smiled into the kiss as he felt himself being rolled into his back with Eames on top. Eames pulled back to gaze down at him. Arthur's breath caught at the sight. Never had Arthur seen Eames look at him like...like he was the most precious thing. He wasn't sure he had anyone look at him like that before.

The dim light in the room reflected in Eames' eyes causing them to twinkle. The light sheet, covering them earlier, pooled off to one side, allowing Arthur a clear view of Eames' muscular shoulders. Those muscles flexed as Eames shifted to run a gentle fingertip down Arthur's cheek. Seeing Eames in this new light, Arthur hadn't realize how gorgeous he was.

Eames reached for the lube and the condom on the dresser. He quickly prepped himself before he guided one of Arthur's legs up over his shoulder and the other around his waist. He reached down towards Arthur's entrance, but Arthur wiggled away. Eames glanced up at him questioningly.

"I'm loose enough," Arthur stated. He wanted to really feel Eames as he entered him. "Please."

Eames stared at him a moment longer before nodding. "We go slow, yeah."

Arthur could agree with those terms. He watched as Eames bit his lips and nudged his cock past the tight rings of Arthur's ass. He kept his breathing even and relaxed. He wasn't joking when he said he was loose from their earlier coupling, but it still burned. The burning sensation was what Arthur wanted. Eames kept a careful watch for any sign of pain but kept pushing agonizingly slow until he was fully seated.

"Still good?" Eames asked. At Arthur's nod, Eames began to pull out and push back in. He set a slow pace with a deep long thrust that drove Arthur crazy. Somehow he marveled at Eames’ control. Always a considerate lover, Eames reached down to pump Arthur's cock in the same steady pace.

Arthur arched his back at the added stimulus. He reached for Eames, placing the palm of his hands on Eames' chest and running then down Eames' pecs. His thumbs flicked at Eames' nipples along the way.

Eames kept the pace steady until they were both shaking with need. He finally built the speed and took Arthur with him higher and higher. Arthur was close. He needed one more thing that would push him over the edge. He leaned forward and off the bed. His hips and legs protested the awkward angle, but Arthur ignored it. He reached his goal by placing a sloppy kiss to Eames's lips. Eames rocked forward, and Arthur came. A few thrusts later, Eames joined him.

"Arthur," Eames growled, his tone husky. "You've no idea how long I've waited for you, love."

Arthur nodded, collapsing back on the bed. At the moment, he had emotions warring with each other, threatening to overwhelm him. Out of all the sex they had, this felt different. This was too good; this was too perfect. He reached up and wrapped his arms around Eames' neck and brought the man down toward him. Eames came to him easily as Arthur held onto him tightly and pressed his face into the nook of Eames' neck. Arthur wasn't crying, but he felt a sudden lost. If he didn't hold on tightly, he would lose this moment. His arm shook as he continued his hold.

"Arthur, darling," Eames said calmly and steadily. "Arthur, I don't want to crush you."

Arthur didn't loosen his death grip. Eames weight on top of him was comforting, and it grounded him. He needed to be grounded.

They stayed like that a moment longer before Eames said quietly in Arthur's ear, "Arthur, I'm not going anywhere."

The shock of hearing those words allowed Arthur to loosen his hold some. It was enough for Eames to lean back, not too far, but enough for him to look into Arthur's eyes. He patiently waited for Arthur.

"I don't think I can do this anymore, Eames," Arthur said brokenly. He winced at the sound of his voice cracking. That never happened before.

Eames looked sympathetic before reaching up to cup the side of Arthur's face. His thumb stroked his cheek, swiping away an imaginary tear. "You held out for this long, Arthur."

"I can't wake up to that damn alarm again realizing the day never happened. I can't keep looking at the distrust in your eyes every time I tell you about this damn time loop, like I'm losing it." Arthur took in a shuddered breath. "I can't...have us just like this: never moving on beyond this point."

"Arthur," Eames started but was immediately cut off by Arthur's glare.

"I want to spend tomorrow with you, Eames," Arthur finally confessed firmly.

Eames paused, his expression mixed with concern and wonder. "You will, Arthur. I promise."

Arthur picked at the short strands of hair on the back of Eames' head. He looked away. "Eames, don't you dare make promises you can't keep."

"Arthur, look at me, love." Eames waited until Arthur complied before repeating, "I promise you there will be a tomorrow."

Arthur truly wanted to believe Eames, but he didn't know the full extent of this. "How could you know that?"

"I want you to do something for me, Arthur." Eames was being serious now. "I want you to remember this moment, Arthur, and this promise I'm going to make to you. I want you to show this moment to me every time you take me into your dreams."

Arthur listened intently to what Eames was about to say for the gravity of the moment.

"When you think there is no other way to break this time loop. I mean really believe that. I promise you that I will hook us up to the PASIV and take us down to limbo where there will be a tomorrow for us." Eames snorted, "Many tomorrows, in fact."

Arthur was speechless until the full weight of Eames' proposition hit him fully in the face. "Eames, are you crazy?"

Eames shrugged. "I've been called that upon occasion. Personally, I think it's a part of my charm."

"Eames, be serious a moment longer," Arthur said with exasperation. "We can't go down to limbo. We'll lose ourselves down there."

"You're losing yourself now," Eames pointed out. "If all else fails, limbo may be the only outlet you have."

Arthur closed his eyes. Limbo and here were interchangeable. However, if Eames was with him... "All right," Arthur nodded slightly. "All right, when I decide there's no other way. I'll hold you to your promise."

"All right," Eames nuzzled Arthur, holding him close.

They lay there quietly, limbs tangled and the sheet haphazardly draped over them. Then Arthur tensed, breaking the moment of silence. "What is it, Arthur?"

"It's almost time," Arthur said tersely. He could already hear the beeping.

Eames held Arthur tighter. "It'll be all right. Just remember what I said, and you'll be fine."

Arthur nodded into Eames' shoulder before Eames disappeared. He was alone in his hotel. The alarm beeped away until Arthur turned it off. He took the extra pillow and curled into it. In way of comfort, he closed his eyes and tried to recall Eames' warmth and the loving look he gave him under those dim lights.

~*~*~

 **(61th) Tuesday 8:35 A.M.**

Arthur opened his eyes fluently as he'd always done after waking up from a dream. He sighed as he efficiently pulled out the cannula from his arm.

"Arthur," Eames said bewildered from beside him. "I've no idea."

"Yeah," Arthur's responded. He was used to Eames' reaction, least to say. He suddenly found his hand taken by Eames'. He raised his eyebrows in question.

"Arthur, I know you're miserable," Eames said while looking into Arthur's eyes seriously. After letting Eames see what he'd gone through, Arthur didn't bother trying to hide what he felt around him anymore. "However terrible this thing is for you, there is one thing that I'm grateful for."

Arthur thought about the reasons. Maybe Eames was grateful to be finally starting something together, or having the fantastic sex. Maybe Eames was grateful that he was the sole person keeping Arthur from flying off the handle. Arthur knew he was grateful for that.

"I'm grateful that you're alive." Eames bowed his head. "If this time loop didn't take place then..." he shuddered at the thought. "You would have been dead in my arms on that street."

Arthur never considered his death to be a permanent one. The realization of that simple fact hit him hard like a ton of bricks. Arthur fell back into his chair, head tilted upwards to stare at the ceiling. "Maybe that would have been better," he said bitterly.

"Arthur," Eames said patiently, drawing Arthur's attention. "I never pegged you for taking the easy way out."

Arthur looked down sharply at Eames. Eames' expression remained impassive. Arthur prepped himself to verbally rip Eames a new one until his rattled brain caught up. Eames was deliberately sparking his anger. Anger was better than feeling sorry for himself. Arthur shook his head. "Eames, you never cease to amaze me."

"And your condescending manner is always appreciated by me," returned Eames, who sported a shit-eating grin.

Arthur snorted with amusement. "Thank you. Now, help me through this."

"Yes, dear," Eames said cheekily as he pulled Arthur out of his chair and onto his feet. "I think we need get the others involved."

Arthur's brows furrowed in thought. He wasn't against having Ariadne and Yusuf involved like he was earlier. "I suppose I can invite them into my dreams and..."

"No, no," Eames said firmly. "No one is going into that brilliant mind of yours, Arthur."

Arthur narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Eames. "It's the easiest way..."

"I'm sure we can both convince them that you're not losing your marbles," stated Eames in a matter-of-fact tone.

"It'll take too long to explain things to them," pressed Arthur. He didn't understand why Eames was so opposed to the idea.

"We can give them the cliff notes," countered Eames. "They'll be fine."

Arthur's frown deepened, if that was possible. Eames almost appeared to be...protective? That was odd. There was no reason for Eames to do so. It was perfectly safe. He was about to prod further when Eames blurted out the answer.

"Look before you get an aneurysm trying to figure me out. I don't like the idea of others trampling in your mind." The last part was mumbled, but Arthur heard it anyways.

Arthur decided to let the subject drop. He thought it was cute seeing Eames being protective and maybe jealous having seen something that no one else was invited to see. He couldn't prevent the tingling sensation from spreading throughout his body. He cleared his throat. "Do you think they would be able to help?"

Eames shrugged, "Don't know. I'm just going along with my gut feeling."

"Gut feeling?"

"Intuition if you prefer, Arthur."

"I know what the word means, Eames," Arthur grounded out through clenched teeth. "I need a little more than that."

"It's always specificity with you," Eames said fondly. "I don't know if they can help or not, but they definitely can add a different perspective. Maybe one of them can spot something we missed. I do believe we're on the right track. We just need something else to add to the puzzle."

That was the exact thought Arthur had the night before. He relented, "Let's round up the gang."

~*~*~

"So let me get this straight," summarized Ariadne from where she sat on the couch. "Arthur, you are trapped in a time loop where you can't go beyond 5:30 A.M."

"That's correct," confirmed Arthur. He was standing in front of both Yusuf and Ariadne. Eames stood nearby while Arthur did most to the explanation.

"Wow." Ariadne slumped back into the couch. "Just, wow." She blinked back at Arthur with curiosity. "What's it like?"

If Ariadne was asking questions about how Arthur felt, then he must have done a good job convincing the girl. "Like there's no tomorrow. I wouldn't wish it upon anyone."

"Eames," Yusuf pointed at the forger. "Do you bloody believe this?" Yusuf wasn't buying into the story as easily.

"Yes," Eames said without wavering. "Believe me," Eames said and left it at that without expanding about how he knew.

Arthur crossed his arms and stared at Yusuf. "If it helps, I know you were planning on watching porn today." He rolled his eyes. "I sure as hell walked into you enough times to know."

Yusuf flustered and muttered something in his defense, but it all fell to deaf’s ear. Ariadne hid her giggle behind her hand. Eames looked positively wicked at his friend's expense. "I knew you wanted to be alone for some reason. Who would have figured, yeah mate."

"Piss off," grumbled Yusuf. "That doesn't prove anything." He looked accusingly at Arthur. "Arthur may have installed cameras in this flat."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. What was up with his friends thinking he would bug the phones or install hidden cameras all around? "How would I know exactly what you were planning before you've done it then?" That ended the weak argument.

Ariadne elbowed Yusuf's side. "Come on, Yusuf. Looks like Arthur has gone through a lot and needs a helping hand."

"Yeah, Yusuf, be a sport and play along," encouraged Eames. "Even if you don't believe any of this, at least help us brainstorm the solution."

"Well, there isn't any scientific explanation for this," Yusuf argued. He threw his hands in the air and stood up from the couch. "You cannot ask me to believe that Arthur threw a coin into a fountain and was immediately placed in a predicament where the day repeats itself. It's not possible. You might as well go back to the Trevi and throw another coin in and ask it if you can get out of this problem."

The room went silent as Yusuf finished his triad. The chemist turned to look at everyone in the room who was staring at him, flabbergasted. "What?"

"Yusuf," Eames said slowly. "You are a bloody genius, and don't let anyone say otherwise."

"Yeah," Arthur agreed. He was already moving towards the door.

Excited, Ariadne moved off the couch and went after Arthur. "This might work."

Yusuf looked confused and frowned. "What did I say?"

Eames smiled and clasped his friend on the shoulder. "You tagging along, or would you prefer some alone time with yourself?"

"Shove off!"

Eames laughed as he left Yusuf standing in the middle of the room fuming and went after Arthur and Ariadne.

~*~*~

Tourists crowded the Trevi fountain. Arthur was somewhat annoyed but not surprised. It was a little after lunchtime when they made it to the Trevi. However, he managed to shove himself through the crowd towing Eames and Ariadne behind. He had a determination about him, and somehow Yusuf's haphazard suggestion might work.

Arthur came to a full stop in front of the Trevi and glanced up at the magnificent fountain. His breath caught at the sight. He closed his eyes at the slight breeze that blew a mist of water to his face. His face tingled at the sensation. Eames was right; this might be the source.

"Arthur?" Eames asked.

Arthur nodded, feeling confident. "Let's do it." Fishing out a coin he turned around so his back faced the fountain. Arthur held the coin in his hand, the tension creeping into his shoulder. Deep down he felt stupid doing this.

"Don't forget to make the wish, darling," Eames urged when Arthur hesitated.

Arthur narrowed his eyes at Eames and tossed the coin over his shoulder with the wish to end his misery. He waited, but he didn't feel any different. The air of confidence began to drain.

"Anything?" Ariadne asked in earnest.

Arthur shook his head stiffly and frowned in disappointment. "I don't know what I'm suppose to feel. It could have worked." Something deep down told him otherwise. "I don't think it worked."

"Don't worry," Eames said tightly. "It was worth a try. We'll figure something else out."

Arthur suddenly felt weary as he sunk down to sit on the edge of the fountain. Eames sat next to him, staying close. He felt Eames squeeze his shoulder for encouragement. Arthur reached to cover Eames' hand with his own. Eames smiled with reassurance, silently asking Arthur to continue hoping.

Ariadne stood where she was, studying the Trevi. "I wonder," she said out loud, trailing her thoughts.

"What is it, Ariadne?" prompted Arthur. He knew that look, the look he sported many times himself when he was onto something.

"I wonder," Ariadne repeated. "If there's more to this than just the Trevi Fountain."

Both Arthur and Eames exchanged looks. "Care to expand on that, dove, so the slower ones can follow you?" asked Eames.

"I studied Roman myths while I was doing my undergrad. I wonder if one of the Gods…maybe..." Ariadne tucked her chin in thought. "Salacia may be the culprit here. Some literature states that Goddess is Neptune's wife. She brings fertility to the Earth through rainfall. She sometimes represents sexuality and fertility."

"What?"

"Really?"

Both Arthur and Eames exclaimed at the same time. Arthur looked skeptical, and Eames expressed fascination.

"Tell me more about the sexuality and fertility bit," encouraged Eames. He leaned forward to better listen to Ariadne.

Arthur snorted and punched Eames in the arm. "Not appropriate now, Eames."

Eames looked over his shoulder at Arthur, a gleam of mischief reflecting in his eyes. "Shush there, love. This could be important." He turned back to Ariadne. "The Roman Gods? Do you think we have to sacrifice a cow and present it to an altar of some sort? Maybe that would appease them to let Arthur go." Eames was practically bouncing with glee at the prospect.

"Eames, I am not sacrificing a cow," Arthur said firmly.

Eames’ excitement deflated as he nudged Arthur's elbow. "But Arthur, this may be the key. The Roman Gods here – I wish I would have thought about that."

Arthur rubbed his forehead. Was Eames really a believer? They were in Rome after all. Anything could happen here. Wasn't that the popular saying? He would need to explore Eames’ fascination with Roman myths and legends later, but for now... "Still doesn't make sense. Like I said before, I never wished for...” Arthur's eyes widened when he came to realization. All the pieces coming into place to form a bigger picture made him gasp in awe.

"Um, Arthur," spoke Ariadne. She sounded distanced as Arthur reveled in his revelation.

"Arthur?" Eames voice was sharp as he shook Arthur. "Don't keep us in the dark."

"There were three of us that night," Arthur said, trying to contain his excitement. "The three of us stood in front of the Trevi and threw coins in, making a wish."

"I'm sorry Arthur, I'm not quite following you," Eames said with puzzlement.

"My wish was irrelevant, but your wishes though..." Arthur allowed his thought to be incomplete.

"Why would I...no, we…” Eames indicated to both himself and Ariadne, "wished for something like this to happen to you?"

"Arthur," exclaimed Ariadne as she took a step closer to Arthur. "I would never wish to harm you."

"I know," reassured Arthur. "It's just...I need to know what you wished for." After he said those words, a faint tingling sensation washed over him. He instantly knew he was on the right track, finally.

Silence came over the three. The sound of the water flowed over them as seconds ticked by. Finally, Ariadne spoke, "Arthur, I don't know what I would wish."

"We're not in the moment," added Eames. "We know too much, and it's clouded our judgment."

"It's all right." Arthur reached up cupping Eames' jaw. This was going to be over soon. "I know what needs to be done."

~*~*~

 **(62th) Tuesday 10:38 P.M.**

"Legend says if you throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, it will ensure your return back to Rome," rattled Arthur as he recited the well-known fact to Ariadne. "You take the coin in your right hand and toss it over your left shoulder."

"Fascinating fact, Arthur," exclaimed Eames, maybe with a little too much enthusiasm for Arthur's liking.

Arthur gave Eames a challenging look. "Do you have something else to add, Eames?"

Eames smirked while placing his hands in his pocket and rocking back on his heels. "As a matter of fact I do, Arthur." He turned to Ariadne who was absorbed with the architectural structure around the fountain. "This is a mythical fountain of love."

Ariadne raised an eyebrow, looking back at Eames with an unbelievable expression. "Oh come on, Eames. Even I know that's not true."

Eames placed his hand over his heart, acting hurt. He then gestured around the fountain, pointing out all the women surrounding the fountain. Some of then were in groups, smiling or looking yearningly at the fountain. Most were looking into the clear night sky as they threw their coins into the fountain. "If it weren't true, then why are all these lovely women throwing their money away on such a romantic night such as this, hm?"

"Eames," said Arthur patiently. "I think you're confused with a movie."

"Oi," Eames sounded shocked at being found. "It was because of that movie that brought such attention to the Trevi. You can't deny that, darling. A lot of lonely souls come here with that misconception in mind." Eames suddenly looked wistful. "And a wish."

Arthur's anticipation mounted to the brim. He waited all day – no, 62 days for this moment to happen again. Funny that he would think that since he repeated the day enough times. When the time looped, he allowed the day to come as it would naturally. He enjoyed his breakfast. When Eames called, he readily agreed to go on the outing with him and Ariadne. He played his part as well as enjoyed the day for once. Now he felt anxious. He wasn't sure why he felt this way, but he was nearly 100 percent certain this was the right thing to do.

Eames placed the coin in Arthur's hand. "Here you go, love. Give it a go, and toss the coin in. Maybe your wish will come true."

Arthur didn't comment but stared at the coin. He threw the coin over his shoulder making one last wish: a plea that this would work. He actually smiled when he watched Eames and Ariadne tossing their coins into the fountain. Now or never, it was time.

Arthur reached out to grab a hold or Eames' arm as they walked away from the Trevi. "Ariadne, why don't you go on ahead? I have something to ask Eames. We won't be long," Arthur said, not looking away from Eames.

Eames glanced back at Arthur with a hint of nervousness. "Is there something you needed to ask me in private, Arthur?"

"Yes." Arthur steeled himself. "I want to know what you wished for."

"It's not lucky to wish and tell," Eames said with a smile, though Arthur thought that smile was a little strained.

"Eames, please tell me what you wished for."

"Arthur, I don't know where you're going with this, but..."

"Eames," Arthur interrupted quietly. He tightened his grip on Eames' arm.

"I wish for all the riches in the world and for me to never lose a hand in poker," Eames quickly uttered.

Arthur shook his head. "I want the truth, Eames. This is very important to me."

There it was. Arthur saw a subtle display of fear on Eames' face. Arthur never broke eye contact. He left his expression open for the man to see. He displayed the hope, fear, and anxiety, leaving nothing out.

Finally, what seemed like forever, Eames sighed, "I wished for the time the man standing next to me to stop running away and be with me."

"You idiot," Arthur said without any real heat before he surged forward to take those delectable lips into a kiss. When he felt Eames immediately relaxing into the kiss, he felt the tingle coursing through his body, electrifying every nerve. He suddenly felt drunk and lightheaded, enough for him to waver. Eames' arms immediately wrapped themselves around Arthur, steadying him.

"Arthur?" Eames' tone contained a hint of concern.

"I'm all right." Arthur got his bearings again and couldn't contain his giddiness. He knew that time would resume again. He carefully placed his hands on Eames' hips. He had Eames where he wanted him.

Eames looked into Arthur's eyes, studying him, but a smile bloomed across his face. "I didn't expect my wish to come true so quickly."

Arthur nearly choked on his laughter as he buried his face into Eames' neck. "There wasn't anything quick about this, Eames. If only you knew." Arthur felt Eames shifting his hold, allowing one hand to rub Arthur's back in a soothing gesture. Eames' hand came to rest on the back Arthur's head. Only then did Arthur realize he was shaking from his ordeal.

"You might have to tell me, darling," Eames murmured into Arthur's ear.

Arthur nodded into Eames' shoulder. "I will later."

They stood a short distance in front of the Trevi Fountain in each other's arms, both in no hurry of moving from their spot. Arthur never believed in myths and legends. He didn't know if the Trevi fountain or the Roman Gods caused this bizarre event. There could be a chance that it might be Rome itself being one of the magical cities at work. Whatever the reason, Arthur felt relieved knowing it didn't matter.

~*~*~

 **Epilogue**

 **Tuesday 5:36 A.M.**

Arthur reached for the alarm blindly and slapped around until he managed to strike the one button that would silence the contraption. He groaned and flopped back into bed, relaxing back into his pillow. He was about to drift off to sleep again when he felt the person next to him nudging a nose to his bare shoulder. He soon felt an open kiss on his neck, then a lick. Arthur groaned and halfhearted batted the culprit away, startling a breathy chuckle in his ear.

"Rise and shine, darling." Eames’ finger walked down Arthur's spine, going lower to cup his ass.

Arthur wiggled his hips and groaned. "Eames, it's too early for this."

The chuckle returned. "Then why on earth did you set up the alarm, love?"

"I have an appointment with a potential client."

Silence settled over them. Arthur thought Eames would let him catch a bit more sleep. Eames kept the soothing petting, lulling him back to sleep. Arthur relaxed even further.

"Arthur," Eames whispered as he nudged his nose in Arthur's hair like a persistent cat. "If you don't get up, I'm going to give you a full snog, and I know how much you love my morning breath."

"Do you call that a threat?" mumbled Arthur in his pillow. He soon found himself flipped onto his back with Eames looming over him. Eames puckered his lips with exaggeration, making smacking noises as he came closer to Arthur. Arthur wrinkled his nose. He reached up to plant the palm of his hand on Eames' face, pushing him, perhaps a little too hard, away. "Why don't you go use the bathroom first?"

"Nope," Eames smirked as he flopped on his side, facing Arthur. "If I did that, you'll fall right back to sleep, and the whole process will start all over again. I think the whole efficiency thing you carry around you is a farce. Honestly, Arthur, how do you manage to get your perky little arse out of bed?"

"I get my perky little arse out of bed with a combination of hitting the snooze button roughly seven times and setting the alarm a little earlier to give me plenty of time." Arthur reached to rub his eyes before rolling himself out of bed. He wiggled his toes into the plush carpet before getting up and heading to the bathroom, figuring he wouldn't get any more sleep. Eames laughed at him from behind.

Arthur thought it would be a huge adjustment sharing his life with Eames, but he found it to be an easy transition. Not everything was smooth sailing, like the fact that Eames was actually a morning person ready to face the day with a bundle of energy. Arthur needed more time and quickly put Eames in his place early on.

There were other nuances they discovered about each other everyday, little jewels of treasures or thorns to be cherished or compromised. It had been a while since either of them maintained a long-term relationship, and it showed. They quarreled, but they also had more moments of companionship. For better or for worse, Arthur was grateful that they had time. He lost count of the amount of days in which he woke up entwined with Eames. His body soaked up the fact that he was no longer alone. He knew Eames felt the same way.

When Arthur walked out of the bathroom to the scent of his favorite coffee brewing, he smiled. Eames walked past him for his turn in the bathroom, pausing enough to give Arthur a peck on the cheek and gentle slap on the ass. "Good morning, love."

Arthur rolled his eyes and allowed the groping. He went into the kitchen and started making breakfast. They had been together long enough to start a routine. Ah, a blissful routine they both could share for as long as time would allow them, and Arthur made sure they had plenty of that: time.

 _Fin_


End file.
